All I Want For Christmas
by Patchcat
Summary: All Inuyasha wants for Christmas is to finally get the girl but when his exgirlfriend comes back to town, things might not go quite as he's planned. Now, Kagome's in real danger and it's up to him to keep her safe no matter what.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available. But, if somebody were to wrap him up with a big red bow and put him under my Christmas tree, I wouldn't tell a soul.

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 1

Ah, Christmas -- a time of happiness, joy, good will toward your fellow man, and the search for the one perfect gift that is guaranteed to make someone smile. Of course, the half dog demon who was currently being herded through a noisy mall would probably tell you that it is also the one time of the year when violence was at an all time high and that that perfect gift would be forgotten by New Years. But then the smells and sounds that assailed his senses and made him wish he were anywhere but here tended to make him a little cranky.

_: Man, I hate shopping at this time of year, _the young man thought grouchily. _The crowds, the noise, the god-awful music… I swear if I have to hear _"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" _one more time, I'm gonna fuckin' hurt somebody! : _Pushing his silver hair out of his face, the young man grabbed the hand of the dark haired girl next to him. "Remind me again just _exactly_ how I managed to let you talk me into this. I hate shopping malls at Christmas, and you know it!"

The girl just laughed at his petulant tone and proceeded to walk into the mall, all the while tugging insistently on her companion's clawed hand. It was obvious from her expression and the way she practically skipped through the doors that she wasn't going to let his grouchiness ruin her good mood. "Oh, come on, Inuyasha," she said with a grin. "You know exactly how it happened. I begged, Sess growled, and you didn't want to stay home. Besides, you know I can't drive yet," she said with a pout, "and isn't this better than pining after --."

"Rin," Inuyasha growled, interrupting the teasing teenager, "I thought we agreed that Kagome would _not _come up today. And I'm not pining." He sulked; he did not "pine." It wasn't his fault that she was seeing that Hojo creep. Besides, she considered him one of her best friends, and he didn't want to make things awkward between them since she obviously didn't feel the same way. _: I mean, would she really have stayed with Hojo this long if she had feelings for me as more than a friend? :_

"Whatever. _I _didn't bring her up, you did," Rin huffed, rolling her eyes the way only a fifteen year old can. "Anyway, come on. If we don't get moving, we'll have to fight the blue-haired grannies for the really neat stuff and I want to get Sess something good this year." She paused for a moment as a thought struck her. "Oh, and Inuyasha?" she said sweetly, looking at him from the corner of her eye as her smile faded to be replaced by a stern look. "**No dog biscuits!** He still hasn't forgiven you for last year," Rin finished in a no-nonsense tone. Maybe this year it would actually get through their thick skulls that the joke to see who could give the most dog-like gift was not only getting old, but had to be the lamest thing she had ever heard of.

"Awww, Rin, come _on_! You ruin all my fun." Inuyasha's mocking pout was ruined by the grin that gave way at the memory.

Last year's gag gift to his older brother had been a box of peanut butter flavored dog biscuits shaped like bagels. Sesshomaru hadn't known they were dog biscuits until he read the card, but by then he had already taken a bite out of one. The look on Sesshomaru's face was priceless, and the sounds of retching that could be heard as he raced for the bathroom only added to the hilarity of the moment. It was definitely one of Inuyasha's favorite Christmas memories -- too bad the camera had been out of film.

He was considering a dog collar for this year, maybe one with spikes or, better yet, one with pretty, glittery hearts. He hadn't made it to the pet store to pick one out yet, but it was only a matter of time before he did. He knew there wasn't much time left, as it was only two weeks until Christmas.

"Just because you're both dog demons does _not _mean that canine related gifts are acceptable," Rin lectured primly, one hand on her hip and a finger on the other poking him in the chest. "How would you feel if that were the only thing you opened on Christmas?"

"Oh, come on, Rin, it's all in good fun. What about the flea shampoo he gave _me _two years ago? Or the squeaky bone and rawhide chew last year? How is that any different?" Inuyasha asked, amusement dancing in his amber eyes. "Besides, we've been doing this since before Mom and Dad died, and _they _never had a problem. I mean, what's the big deal anyway?"

Rin just didn't understand. Even though she had been with the two brothers since she was eight, when both sets of parents died, she never could understand why they were so mean to each other. Maybe it was because she was human and didn't realize that this was the way the two demons showed their affection, although Yash's mother had understood. Maybe is was just that Rin couldn't see any reason for them to make such a big deal out of the whole "dog" thing. Whatever the explanation, Rin always gave the same lecture. No doggy related items under the Christmas tree. Not that the boys ever listened.

"I guess it isn't _that_ big a deal, but I still don't get it. You would think that at least Sess would have more restraint. After all, he _is _the full demon around here," Rin teased. She knew that her guardian's brother was sensitive about his half-demon heritage, but she couldn't help ribbing him a little. She glanced up at him through lowered lashes, "But then again, _he _doesn't have those adorable puppy ears, does he?"

Inuyasha blushed, nearly matching his T-shirt, and tried to cover his embarrassment with a playful growl. He made a grab for the hood of Rin's sweatshirt as she took off with a squeal.

As Inuyasha chased the young girl through the mall, he couldn't help but grin at the memory _that _little comment brought back. The first thing Rin had done when she met him was to go into full-out squeal mode and grab his ears. It took about an hour for her squealed exclamations -- "Oh, how cute!" "Are they real?" "Can I touch them?" -- to quit ringing in his "adorable puppy ears." The only other person who had ever reacted worse than that was Kagome. She had been five, he had been six and to this day it was her habit to rub his ears every time she saw him, just like she had the first time they met. Of course, she would probably stop that habit if he ever let her see what, exactly, that had been doing to him since junior high…

Inuyasha was jolted out of his thoughts when he caught up with Rin, bumping into her when she stopped suddenly to stare intently at a display in one of the stores. Inuyasha groaned when he realized where she had stopped. It was one of those places where you could stuff your own plush toy, and she was staring at none other than a fluffy white dog. Sighing deeply and folding his arms across his chest, he said, "I hope you aren't thinking of getting that for Sess, especially after the lecture you just gave me about dog stuff."

"No," she replied, her tone mischievous. "I was actually thinking that you should get it for Kagome. I'm sure that she would love to cuddle up to a cute little puppy every night." She danced away from him, laughing at the horror-stricken look on his face. When had innocent little Rin become so… so… so much like Miroku? Wait, she _was_ talking about the plushie, wasn't she?

"Rin, you had better be talking about that toy," he said menacingly, his face red again.

Rin looked at him in innocent confusion. "What else would I be talking about?" she asked. "Of course, I was talking about the toy. What were _you _thinkin'?" The gleam in her eye and the ill-concealed smirk said her mind was as dirty as the lecher's, but he let it drop.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, changing the subject. "Do you think Sess would like that rabbit?"

Thus began the two hour shopping ordeal from hell and the inevitable argument over which stuffed animal Rin could get for Sesshomaru without incurring the dog demon's wrath. The hard part was finding one that wouldn't result in embarrassing retribution at a later time. In the end, they decided on a frog that they named Jaken. It was, as Inuyasha so eloquently put it, "Big enough for him to throw around when he got angry, but small enough to stuff under the bed so he doesn't look soft."

From there they hit a couple of department stores, and Rin spent the whole time trying to convince Yash that he just _had_ to go back and get that dog. Then Inuyasha had the painful task of dragging Rin out of the pet store, where she was trying her damnedest to get him to buy her a kitten. He finally managed to get her out, but not before making a note of which furball she seemed to like the most. He'd have to come back later and see about bringing it home for Christmas. He had also spotted the perfect collar for his brother. It was made out of bright red leather and had pretty, shiny gold hearts affixed to it. Inuyasha couldn't keep the evil smirk off his face as he amused himself with the image of Sesshomaru's face when he opened his loving brother's gift.

After the pet store, it was a whirlwind tour of all the girly boutiques the mall had to offer. After the seventh or eighth one -- he couldn't be sure how many they had been to. He'd stopped counting after three -- Yash had had enough. He was hungry, the noise from crowd and the strong smells from the department stores were giving him a headache, and he was sick of being "bagboy" for all of Rin's purchases. None of this made for a happy dog demon.

"Inuyasha, where are you going?" Rin whined. "We still haven't found anything for Kagome or Sango, and I want to find a dress for Kagome's party tomorrow." Inuyasha just continued to walk away from her. "Yaaash, aren't you listening? Hey! Get back here!"

Inuyasha finally turned around and answered her. "I'm tired, my head hurts, and I'm hungry. We have been shopping for five hours straight, and I would like to put these bags down. I'm headed for the food court," he told her. "You can either come with me, or lose your pack-dog and go by yourself. It's your choice. Either way, I'm sitting down." With that, he turned back around and continued on his previous course toward the nearest ramen stand.

Rin just stood there for a minute, stunned and a little angry. That is until she realized that Inuyasha was right, and that she was getting hungry herself. "Hey, Yash!" she called to him. "Wait up! I'm coming with you."

"Glad you saw things my way, squirt," he said as she caught up.

"Yeah, well. I'm gettin' hungry, and you have all the money. Besides," she punched him lightly on the arm, "who else is going to keep you from closing down the ramen stand?" Inuyasha just rolled his eyes, snorted, and kept going, blissfully unaware that the object of his affection was at this moment squealing over the very doll Rin had been pushing him all day to purchase.

* * *

"Hey, Sango! Isn't this the most adorable little puppy you've ever seen?" squealed a sable haired young woman as she grabbed the stuffed display and crushed it to her chest. "It has the cutest ears!"

"I guess -- if you like that kind of thing," replied her dark haired companion indifferently. "But I thought you liked the real thing better. Hey," Sango teased, eying the toy critically, "isn't there a resemblance?"

Sango covered her mouth with her hand and gasped playfully as Kagome blushed bright red and stuck her tongue out at her friend. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sango," she replied primly as she turned and put the toy down.

Sango just stared at her and shook her head, a knowing grin on her face. As long as she had known Kagome, she never could understand why the girl just wouldn't admit that she was attracted to their half-demon friend. _: Oh, well,_ she thought wistfully, _maybe someday. : _

"Are you ready for the party tomorrow?" Sango asked changing the subject. "Do you still want me to come help set up?"

This year it would only be Kagome and her friends at the annual event, because her family was out of town. Grandpa was away on shrine business and her mother and brother had gone to visit Kagome's Aunt Mayu. Her exam schedule at the university hadn't allowed Kagome to go with them this year. That left Kagome alone for Christmas, but she knew her friends would be there if she needed them.

"If you would be so kind," Kagome answered. "I hope everyone can make it this year. Have you asked Miroku if he got the night off?" Miroku was Sango's long time boyfriend and worked for one of the stores in the mall. This being the busy season, it wasn't always a safe bet that he would get off when he wanted.

"Yeah, he'll be there," Sango smiled. "They made him a manager for the season, so he gets to help write the employee schedule."

Kagome nodded and continued her walk down the mall. The two girls had been shopping for a few hours, and Sango's feet were starting to feel it. They had originally planned on meeting Miroku when he got off, but a call from him a few minutes earlier had ruined those plans. Somebody hadn't shown up for a shift, and he had to take it. Sango couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Even though they lived together, they didn't get to see each other nearly enough at this time of year, and the rest of the time they were both so busy studying…

"Hey," Kagome's voice jerked Sango out of her depressing thoughts. "Isn't that Rin and Inuyasha over there?" Somehow they had turned toward the food court without Sango noticing. Well, now was as good a time as any to take a break from the torture of holiday shopping.

"I think so," Sango answered, following Kagome's pointing finger. "Why don't we go say hi?"

Kagome nodded, following her friend. Rin was the first to spot them and from the look of total mischief on her face, she was about to tease the living hell out of one of them; and since they were the girl's favorite targets, something told Kagome that it was either going to be her face or Inuyasha's that would be red from embarrassment. The only question was whose and that answer wasn't long in coming. As the girls approached, Kagome heard, "Well, if it isn't the girl of my uncle's dreams and her best friend, Sango!"

"Rin," Inuyasha growled warningly, "need I remind you that it is only a couple of weeks till Christmas and I still haven't gotten you a present?" Rin paled a little as he continued. "If you do not stop **right now, **all you're gonna get is coal! Furthermore -- who has the keys?"

As Rin glared at the threat and offered her half-hearted apologies, Kagome and Sango exchanged a "what-the-hell-was-that-about" look. Neither was sure they really wanted to ask, so they both just let it go. Kagome figured she could ask Rin later, away from Yash.

Now that gave her a great idea…

"Hey, Rin," she said, "how about helping Sango and me find something for the rest of the people on our lists?"

"I would love to, Kag," Rin answered, "but what about Yash? I can't leave him by himself; he's not housebroken …unless you want him to come with us." Lowering her voice, she said mischievously, "Besides, you know how he gets when he doesn't have a keeper. Remember the mall Santa last year? We don't want a repeat of the Candy Cane Debacle."

"That guy had it coming," Inuyasha said tightly. "He wouldn't have had that problem if he had just kept his hands to himself and off of my butt." Turning his attention back to Kagome, he asked, "So, wench, am I just supposed to sit here like a good little doggy while you three go shopping?"

"Of course not. I didn't mean it like that and you know it, Dog Boy," Kagome retorted. "You could go with Miroku for all I care. Oh, wait…" she trailed off, scrunching her brow as if something had just occurred to her.

Inuyasha looked at her, confused. "Huh?" _: Does she have any idea how cute she is when she does that? Damn, why does she have to be with that Hojo creep? : _He thought, irritated. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a sharp elbow in his ribs, courtesy of Rin.

"You do realize, dearest uncle of mine," she whispered, "that you are staring?" Rin bit back the giggle that threatened to burst out at the expression on his face. Shock and horror were quickly replaced by exasperation which was followed closely by that all too familiar scowl he only wore when he was embarrassed. That was until he realized that she was teasing him -- again.

Glaring threateningly at Rin, he turned his attention back to Kagome, being sure not to stare this time. "What about Miroku?"

"Oh, he was going to meet us, but then he called to say that he had to stay at work," Sango answered.

"Did I hear my name taken in vain?" asked a cheerful voice behind them. The four turned to see a pony tailed young man standing there, his violet eyes laughing.

"Miroku!" Sango shrieked. "I thought you had to work." Sango threw herself at her boyfriend. Catching her, Miroku returned her embrace before dipping his head and catching her lips in a kiss that went from chaste to passionate in a matter of second.

"Hey, you two," Inuyasha said loudly, "get a room if you're gonna do that. There are children present, damn it!" Inuyasha made a show of covering Rin's eyes with one hand and blocking the blows she aimed at him with the other. Miroku responded to this by pulling Sango closer and dipping her over his arm, deepening and prolonging their kiss. It was taking all that Kagome had in her not to burst out laughing. It was a well known fact that Inuyasha did not like public displays of affection, and Miroku was enough of an exhibitionist to give everyone a good show.

Inuyasha started coughing violently when Rin managed to get free by elbowing him hard in the stomach. Having not seen him take the hit, Miroku released Sango from his embrace and turned to look at Inuyasha, feigning concern. "You might want to get that looked at, my friend. I wasn't aware that dogs could get hair balls."

"What is this," the pained demon groused, straightening up and turning his face away from them, "pick on Yash day?"

"Aw, poor baby," Kagome said mockingly. "Is the whole world out to get him today?" She knew it probably wasn't a good idea to bait him like that, but she couldn't help herself. He just made it too easy. Besides, he was cute when his eyes blazed with anger and irritation, particularly when he pouted, turning up his nose in the very image of wounded pride.

"Nobody asked you, wench. So just stay out of it," Inuyasha growled. He could swear that they were all out to get him today. First Rin, then Miroku, and now Kagome -- God, he just couldn't win. Maybe he should have just gone with his first impulse this morning and stayed in bed.

"Don't call me wench, Inuyasha. You know how I feel about that." Kagome felt the need to defend herself -- she was only teasing him, after all. Besides, if she'd told him once, she'd told him a thousand times not to call her that, and every time she cursed their history teacher for ever teaching him the meaning of that word.

"Would you prefer 'bitch', 'cause that can be arranged," Inuyasha shot back. Already irritated from all of the crowd noise, with a headache coming on from those damn perfume ladies, not to mention the fact that he was frustrated with his inability to tell Kagome how he felt, Inuyasha's temper was stretching a little thin. His friends' merciless teasing wasn't helping, either; and Kagome getting angry at him over a name he used as a joke between them was enough to send him over the edge of reason. He knew it was stupid, that Kagome probably just wanted to find out from Rin what he might like for Christmas, but knowing that didn't stop him.

"You big jerk! That's pretty rich comin' from a _dog_ demon." Kagome gave as good as she got, defending herself against his irrational attack.

As the argument geared up to become a full blown battle between the two, Rin decided to step in. She had seen the twitch start above Inuyasha's eye and knew what that meant. She needed to stop this before they said something they would both regret.

Rin leaned over to Miroku and whispered to him, "I'll take the girls and we'll go do some shopping; hopefully we can get Kagome calmed down. You take the blockhead and buy him some courage…and maybe a brain. We'll meet back here in a couple of hours and see how it goes from there. Okay?"

Miroku nodded as they heard Kagome snarl at Inuyasha, "Now look here, Fido…" Before Rin or Miroku could do anything, however, Sango grabbed Kagome's arm, pulling her out of Inuyasha's face, and sat her down in a chair across the table from him. "Kagome," she said soothingly, "you need to calm down. Inuyasha's just being a jerk."

Before Inuyasha could turn his wrath on Sango, Miroku jumped in. "Why don't you ladies go finish your shopping? Inuyasha and I will find something to occupy ourselves with and meet you back here in, say, two hours?" He turned pleading, apologetic eyes on Sango. He would have to make it up to her later. After all, they had been planning to spend the rest of the afternoon together. Granted, Kagome would have been with them, but at least they would have been together.

"It's okay, Miroku, there's always later," Sango whispered, leaning over so that he was the only one to hear her. Louder, she said, "That sounds like a plan. Come on, girls." She grabbed hold of one of Kagome's arms, while Rin grabbed the other, and the three headed off across the mall, Kagome protesting loudly that she wasn't done with Dog Boy yet.

"Well," Miroku said as the two men watched them drag Kagome out of sight, "would you care to explain what that was all about?"

"No," Inuyasha answered sullenly. "I wouldn't." Great, now he was gonna get lectured by his best friend; he'd had enough lectures for one day. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

"Jealous?"

"Of you and Sango? Please!" Deliberately misunderstanding, Inuyasha turned his head so Miroku couldn't see his face. Truth be told, he was a little jealous – but not of Miroku and Sango. He was jealous because here he sat, alone and miserable, while his love was with another; and he couldn't summon the courage to even tell her he liked her that way. Of course, it didn't help that his honor wouldn't allow him to try stealing her away from the guy -- no matter how much he wanted to.

"Uh-huh," Miroku said as if he knew what Yash was thinking. "You do know that she and Hojo broke up about a month ago, don't you?"

Inuyasha turned and looked at Miroku in shock. "No, I didn't. What happened?"

Miroku shrugged, "Something about catching him in bed with some blonde."

"He did **what**?" Inuyasha exclaimed loudly. How dare that bastard do such a thing to someone as sweet as Kagome!

"You don't have to yell, Yash," Miroku admonished. "I don't think the balloon lady outside wants to know about this."

Inuyasha looked up and realized that he was being stared at by people walking by. Ducking his head to hide his blush, he muttered a half-hearted apology and motioned for Miroku to continue with his tale.

"The only reason I know about any of this is because Kagome came and cried on Sango's shoulder the night she caught them. She was a wreck for a couple of weeks. Sango said something about ice cream binges and castration plans."

Blanching a little at that thought, the two sat in silence for a bit until Inuyasha mused, "I wonder why she didn't say anything to me. I thought we were closer than that."

"Well, you have been busy lately. Maybe she didn't want to disturb you." Miroku didn't look like he believed himself. If fact, he didn't. Inuyasha would do anything for Kagome. They all knew that. She hadn't said anything to him for fear of the 'I told you so' she knew Yash would give her.

"I'm _never_ too busy for her! Damn it, she knows that!" Inuyasha was a little agitated. How could she think that he would put anything before her?

"I don't know, man. Maybe she thought you would rub it in. You made it pretty clear that you didn't approve of their relationship," Miroku said matter-of-factly. "I mean, think about it. First you bailed on her party last Christmas, then you avoided her for, what was it, a month. And then you couldn't ever say anything nice about the guy…"

"Alright, alright," Inuyasha interrupted, "I get the picture. I was a jerk about the whole thing. Jeez." Thinking back on the argument he had just been engaged in, Inuyasha realized that he had probably been a little more of an ass than was normal even for him; and that just made him feel guilty. He hadn't exactly been nice, and he wasn't sure what to do to earn her forgiveness. "So, what do I do now?"

Miroku just looked at him blankly, having not been privy to the half demon's previous thought. "What do you mean? I thought you were giving her space. You know, that you didn't want to make things awkward if she didn't like you as more than a friend?"

Inuyasha leveled a rather sardonic look at his friend and sighed in exasperation. He really hated having to spell thing out. "That's not what I meant," he snapped, as if what he was thinking should have been obvious. "I meant, how do I fix that little spat we just had? Or weren't you listening?"

"Not really. You two say pretty much the same things every time you argue, so we all just kind of tune it out." Something about Inuyasha's expression told Miroku that maybe he should have been listening this time. "You didn't say something stupid, did you?"

"Uh…"

Miroku ran his hand over his face. "Of course you did. This is you we're talking about." Inuyasha growled at him, but being used to it, Miroku ignored him. "What exactly did you say that would be unforgivable?"

"Well…Um…I kinda called her a stupid bitch that could only keep the attention of an idiot and then not for very long," he answered in a rush, wincing at the memory.

"You really _are _an idiot; you do know that, don't you?" Miroku sighed. At Inuyasha's contrite nod, he continued, "Fear not, my friend. All is not lost."

"Really?" Yash said hopefully. _: God, when did I get this pathetic?:_ "And how do you propose that I fix this?"

Miroku was quiet for a few moments, obviously giving Inuyasha's predicament some thought. When a devious smile crossed his face Inuyasha just knew that he was in serious trouble. Miroku had _that_ look in his eye. The one that he got when he was about to suggest something that he just knew would work -- and for the most part did -- but that Inuyasha was going to just hate.

"Well," he said. "I know for a fact that her family is out of town, so you could go over there, present her with some flowers, admit your undying devotion to her, and then take her up stairs and make mad bunny love until the sun comes up."

"C-c-come again?" Inuyasha stuttered, not sure that he had heard correctly.

"You heard me. Show up on her doorstep, shower her with affection, and then relieve your frustration like I know you both need to do." The more Miroku spoke the redder Inuyasha became. There was not way he was going to take that suggestion.

"No, absolutely not."

"Or," Miroku was having way too much fun with this. "You could just take her out to a nice restaurant, explain that you are an absolute jerk, and beg for her forgiveness." At Inuyasha's blank look, he elaborated. "You know, take her somewhere nice and tell her that you didn't know about Hojo. Then you can tell her that you're sorry for being an insensitive clod, and while you're at it," he continued with a cunning twinkle in his eye, "you can tell her that you've had a crush on her since junior high."

"You know, you almost had me," Yash told him lightly. "And then you just _had_ to go and say _that_. Thank you, but I think I'll come up with something on my own."

"Oh, come on, Yash. You don't have to tell her you love her, just take her out and apologize," Miroku said in exasperation. Why did he always feel like he was talking to a brick wall whenever he talked to Yash? Oh, yeah. That'd be because he was.

"I'll think about it," he muttered noncommittally. Anything to get away from that subject. _:And to think I made Rin promise to not even mention her name today. Somebody up there must really have it in for me.:_ "Now, I have some shopping I need to do. You want to come help me pick up Sesshomaru's new collar?"

"So that's the gift this year?" Miroku asked. At Inuyasha's nod, he got up from his chair and started off toward the pet store. "Well, what are you waiting for? I think they just got in a new shipment of the really glittery ones."

Inuyasha followed his friend, grinning wickedly at the thought of the trouble he was going to cause Christmas morning. However, he couldn't banish the little voice in the back of his mind that told him that Miroku's second idea wasn't so bad -- like hell was he going to take the lecher's first suggestion. In fact, he couldn't shake the feeling that, maybe, taking Kagome somewhere nice and apologizing for his irrational behavior was the right thing to do.

* * *

A/N: Well, how's that for a start? Did it even make any sense? As you can see, I'm attempting an A/U fic. Hopefully I'll get it finished before Christmas. I don't plan on more than about four chapters, but don't quote me on it. It could be more, it could be less. Anyway, tell me what you think.

Until we meet again,

Patch

Last revision -- 11/24/04 (thanks Niamh!)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available. But, if somebody were to wrap him up with a big red bow and put him under my Christmas tree, I wouldn't tell a soul.

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 2

The day dawned clear and cool and all Kagome wanted to do was stay snuggled up in her nice toasty bed. As she curled up in her warm sheets, she thought back on a conversation she'd had with Rin during their wanderings at the mall. She had finally quit fuming after a stop for a soothing cup of tea and the talk had meandered around to the men in their lives and what to get them for Christmas. Rin had settled on the old favorite -- pajamas -- and they had stopped into one of those hokey novelty theme stores that seemed to pop up in malls everywhere. Rin spotted the perfect set for Inuyasha. The only problem was deciding which character fit him better.

* * *

"Tigger or Grumpy," Rin asked Kagome, holding up the appropriate sets. When Kagome had finally calmed down enough to tell her friends _why_ she was so angry, Rin had looked ready and willing to strangle Inuyasha. Kagome was almost sorry that she wouldn't be there when the girl finally got hold of him.

"Who's it for, Sesshomaru or Inuyasha?" Sango asked idly, as she flipped through a nearby rack of sweaters.

"Inuyasha. I can't decide which one suits him better," Rin answered. "On the one hand, Tigger would work, 'cause he's so full of energy, not to mention full of himself --," she grumbled under her breath with a role of her eyes.

"Rin! How can you say that?" Kagome exclaimed, turning with a shocked expression from her perusal of a rack of key chains and other small items. "Sure, sometimes he's a little arrogant and inconsiderate, but he is _not _full of himself!"

"Well, _you_ don't have to wait outside the bathroom for an hour while his highness combs his hair," Rin retorted pertly, turning to face the older girl. Her lips twitched with a barely suppressed grin. They both knew that that had only happened once, and it was only because Rin had snuck into his room while he was sleeping and tied fairy-knots in his hair.

"Hey! That one was your fault, so no blaming the victim," Kagome replied, one hand on her hip and the other pointing an admonishing finger at the younger girl.

"Okay, okay; maybe it was, _that time_. But the jerk deserved it! He was being an arrogant prick, and he shouldn't have eaten the last of my chocolate," Rin muttered petulantly. "He didn't have to keep rubbing it in that he knew _exactly_ where all of my hiding places were, and it wasn't the first time, either!"

Kagome couldn't help the slight smile that slipped across her face at Rin's aggrieved tone. She sounded a lot like Kagome herself did when her brother Souta pulled some stunt that really annoyed her. Maybe she _had_ reacted a little strongly. After all, Inuyasha was the closest thing Rin had to an older brother; and she was definitely allowed to pick at him if she wanted to.

"I suppose you're right," Kagome relented, even though her tone said otherwise.

"But he is full of energy," Rin continued in an offhand manner, changing the subject. "I don't know whether to envy or pity the woman he finally makes his mate. She would have to have the patience of a saint to put up with his shit on a daily basis, the grump." Had she not been looking directly at her, Kagome would have missed the wicked look in Rin's eyes just before the girl turned her attention back to the pajamas in front of her, "Not to mention the strength to keep up with him. That boy bounces around everywhere."

Sango, who had been watching their interaction and noticed the sudden flush that appeared on Kagome's face and couldn't let a prime opportunity pass, joined in the teasing. "Hey, Kagome, are you all right?" she asked, her face a mask of contrived innocence. "You look a little hot. Is the crowd getting to you? Do you need some fresh air? Or maybe a refreshing beverage would help cool you off."

It was clear from Sango's amused expression that she knew it wasn't the crowd that had Kagome all red. Kagome had once told Sango that she wouldn't mind filling the role of Inuyasha's mate. Of course, that had been years ago, before she had gotten involved with Hojo and Inuyasha had become so distant.

Sango's giggles caught Rin's attention, and she whipped around to grin impishly at Kagome. "If I didn't know better," she said, her brown eyes dancing with mischief, "I'd think you liked my 'uncle'."

This only made Kagome turn redder -- and, much to her embarrassment and her friends' amusement, she stuttered, "No…I…Wha-What! ...Uh… Oh, never mind!" Kagome huffed, turning her back on them and crossing her arms in pique. She stared intently at the display in front of her, not really seeing the stuffed toys as she tried to cool her blush. She almost had it under control, too, until Sango spoke up.

"Well, Rin, I think I know what to put under her tree this year!"

"I don't know, Sango," Rin replied in a slightly uncertain voice, playing along. It had been a long time since they were able to get this kind of reaction out of their friend. It was kind of fun. "I don't think they make ribbon strong enough to tie him up or wide enough to gag him with. Although," she mused, "I suppose we could use tinsel. Ooh, and a "Do not open 'til Christmas" tag to keep him quiet!"

"I think that he'd stay quiet for Kagome," Sango said archly. "After all, he --"

"Isn't this the cutest little...? Er…_Whatever _you've ever seen?" Rin interrupted, grabbing the nearest thing available, which happened to be a package of little boy's underwear, and shaking her head violently at the older girl. God, Inuyasha would kill her if Kagome found out how he felt about her -- not that it wasn't obvious to anyone with eyes, but he was entitled to his delusions.

"He what?" Kagome asked sullenly, turning from the plush toys and eying her friends with suspicion.

"He's half dog demon," Sango answered a little too brightly as the reason for Rin's actions dawned on her. "He'll just chew right through that tag. Yep, right through it," she finished lamely. She laughed awkwardly when Kagome looked at her in confusion, then turned to Rin and said, "He would probably like Tigger better, Rin. You know how he gets if you tell him he's grumpy."

Rin rolled her eyes and sighed. "Don't I ever. If he's not slamming doors or stomping through the house, then he's sulking or snapping at you for asking him what's wrong." Setting down the items she had selected, Rin crossed her and turned up her nose. Then, her voice pitched lower than normal she said, "There ain't a damn thing wrong with me, stupid! Now, leave me the fuck alone!" This elicited knowing chuckles from her two shopping buddies and dirty looks from the little old granny across the aisle who didn't appreciate that kind of language with children around.

"Oh, well," Rin continued with a heartfelt sigh. "We love him anyway."

Sango noticed that Kagome was starting to turn red again. Deciding that they had picked on the girl enough for one day, she asked, "I guess you've forgiven him for earlier, huh, Kago?"

"Yeah, I guess I have," Kagome answered ruefully. "I can't really stay mad at him. After all, it isn't his fault I never told him about Hojo. He wouldn't have said that if he had known."

When it didn't appear that Kagome was going to continue with that subject, Rin spoke up. "What happened with Hojo, Kagome? I know you broke up, but you don't seem all that upset about it anymore."

Kagome sighed. She had known that this was coming. Rin was, after all, her friend, even if she was six years Kagome's junior, and she worried about Kagome. It didn't help that Kagome was still unsure of her feelings about the whole situation. There were still some things she wondered about, things that she maybe could have done different. Still, it had been long enough for the hurt to lessen, and she would answer Rin as truthfully as she could.

"I…I guess I'm really not," she answered, her eyes unfocused and her expression thoughtful. "Hojo and I had been having problems for a few months; mainly about how I wouldn't sleep with him." Her lips twisted in a wry smile. "And then I started thinking that he wasn't really the one for me, especially when there was someone else that I would rather spend my time with. Of course, I didn't realize that until he started avoiding me," she said that last almost to herself, it was so softly spoken. Shaking the far-away look from her eyes, she continued, "I think Hojo noticed when I started to put a little distance in our relationship." She sighed. "And I think that he was having the same doubts, because he didn't really do anything to try to get me to stay. I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "Maybe, deep down, we both knew it was over months ago; but we were just too…" she paused, searching for the words, "comfortable, I guess. I mean, we had been together for over a year. So, maybe it was just the need to hold on to what was familiar, you know?"

She was quiet for a moment. Trailing her finger over the spines of some nearby books, she reflected back over the last few months of their relationship. Hojo really hadn't tried very hard to keep her around, and she sometimes wondered why she had stayed with him. _:No, that's not true. I know exactly why I stayed. He was always attentive when he was around, and I wanted that, to be the center of someone's world. It didn't matter that he started to spend progressively less time with me as long as he showered me with affection when he _was_ there.:_

"Anyway," Kagome continued, shaking her head clear of her previous thoughts and looking out at the people passing by the entrance to the store. "I guess catching him with that girl was just the push we needed to end it all. Sure, it hurt when I found them and I needed some time to realize that it was really_ over_, but I think that I'm ready to move on."

"To Inuyasha, maybe?" Rin said slyly. Kagome nodded before Rin's comment really registered and by then it was too late. She couldn't sputter her way out of this one --Rin wouldn't let her. "I think that would be great. I know you like him, and I really don't think it would take much of a push to get you together," she said with a wink and a mischievous grin.

Kagome just stared at the younger girl for a moment, trying to figure out whether or not to take her seriously, before shaking her head and making her way to the registers. "Come on, guys. I think that the Tigger ones will work."

* * *

Now Kagome lay in bed and stared at her ceiling, thinking back to the way she had reacted to Rin's comments about Inuyasha. _: When did I become so protective of that idiot? I mean, sure we've all defended him to different people over the years, usually because the big oaf can't keep his mouth shut. But this was **Rin**, for gods sakes! She probably knows him better than anyone, except maybe his brother. I can't believe I snapped at her. Uhh:_ she thought as she buried her face in her pillow.

She hadn't wanted her friends to see how much Inuyasha's comment had hurt. It was one thing to have the same thoughts go through her own mind; it was another thing entirely to have those thoughts voiced aloud by someone she secretly hoped could be more than a friend. How else could she explain the distance between her and Hojo, except that she wasn't enough to hold his attention?

Kagome hadn't told them the whole story. She and Hojo had been slowly growing apart for the better part of about six months. His answer to it all had been that they weren't as intimate as they needed to be. Kagome, though, would have none of it. She was saving that for the man she intended to spend the rest of her life with; surely an unusual sentiment in these times, but it was what she felt in her heart.

Only to add to the confusion was the disturbing way her thoughts always wandered to someone _else_ when she was with Hojo. Kagome remembered a rather embarrassing moment from about two weeks before she caught him. Hojo had been kissing her and was slowly trying to take it a little further than the light touching they usually engaged in and all she could think about was how it would feel if this were Inuyasha instead and how she probably wouldn't stop him like she would Hojo. The thought had both aroused and shamed her. Here she was in the arms of her boyfriend, and she was wishing it were someone else. She had rather hastily pulled away and, giving a transparent excuse, fled from Hojo's apartment. Kagome had spent days trying to figure out just where the hell that thought had come from.

The young woman sighed wistfully. Looking back, she could see that she had had feelings for the temperamental dog for awhile; she had just been denying them. Of course this was all moot, because Inuyasha didn't feel that way about her, no matter what Rin said. He proved it every time they got close and he pulled away.

Thankfully, the phone rang about then, shaking Kagome from her depressing thoughts. Heaving herself up and out from under her warm blankets, she went downstairs to answer it. It was Sango, calling to ask when she should come and help set up for the party that night. They agreed to meet in a couple of hours and grab some lunch, then they could start to decorate. The two chatted for a little longer before saying their goodbyes and hanging up.

Setting the phone back on its cradle, Kagome went back upstairs to bathe and get ready for the day. Stepping into the bathroom, she decided, as she turned on the water, that she would put all thoughts of Hojo and their failed relationship aside. It was time for a new start, and, damn it, that new start would be today!

* * *

As Kagome was thinking about her mall excursion, Inuyasha was having an aggravating phone conversation with Miroku. It seemed that the young monk-in-training thought that the best way to apologize to Kagome was to take her to lunch today; and it seemed that Miroku was going to get Inuyasha to do it if he had to hog tie him and drag him there.

"Come on, man," Miroku cajoled. "You said yesterday that you would do it. Don't back out on me now."

"Yeah, well, I've had time to think about it," Inuyasha said. "And I've changed my mind. Who'd want to apologize to _her _anyway?" That was definitely the wrong thing to say, something that Inuyasha should have known by now. In the background he heard Sango yelling something about coming over there and dragging him if she had to, so now he had both of them on his back.

"Alright, Inuyasha," Miroku sighed in defeat. "It's obvious that you aren't going to do this, so why don't you just come to lunch with Sango and me? Maybe after, you and I can go see about that kitten for Rin while Sango helps Kagome set up for tonight."

Inuyasha thought about that for a minute. He really needed to go make the arrangements for Rin's kitten. The pet store manager had been kind enough to hold on to that little Siamese for him, but he could only hold it for a couple of days. And Miroku did agree to help find a place for the cat until Christmas.

"Okay, but no Kagome," he said finally. "Do you hear me, Miroku? Tell that girlfriend of yours, too. No Kagome!"

"Yeah, I hear you," Miroku answered. Inuyasha pulled the phone from its listening position and eyed it warily. Miroku had just said that he had heard, not that he would do as Inuyasha asked. Deciding that it wasn't worth the argument, the half-demon place the phone back to where he could catch sound from it. The boys talked for a little longer, before agreeing to meet at a restaurant downtown in a couple of hours and hanging up, one to turn and shake his head at how stubborn his friends were and the other to rub his hands together in glee and start the next part of his plan.

Inuyasha got up from where he had been sitting on his bed and padded out to the bathroom to start his morning routine. After a quick shower and tooth brushing, he went back into his room to dress. A pair of blue jeans and his favorite sweatshirt was the order for the day, and he quickly pulled them on. Running his claws through his hair to tame it, he went downstairs to get some breakfast. He still had some time before he had agreed to meet Miroku, and he still needed to talk to Sesshomaru about the kitten. His luck was in today, because there sat his brother at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee and perusing the morning paper as was his Saturday morning habit. Now, how to bring it up?

"Oi, Sess," Inuyasha called from the pantry, where he rummaged for sustenance. He straightened up from his grab for the cereal box in time to catch his brother's raised eyebrow, a sign that he was listening. "I need to talk to you about Rin's Christmas present. She isn't up yet, is she?"

"If you would bother to use your nose, little brother, you would find that Rin is not only up but no longer in the house," Sesshomaru responded coolly, rolling his eyes at his brother's denseness.

"Oh," was Inuyasha's intelligent response after a quick sniff proved that Rin's scent was at least an hour old. "Well, I guess I can tell you, then." At Sesshomaru's nod, he continued while he searched for a bowl. He knew that his brother had a soft touch when it came to the girl and that there was no question about the kitten coming to live with them. "She found this kitten at the mall yesterday, and I just about had to use a pry bar to get her out of the damn pet store."

"Yes, she mentioned something about that this morning before she left," Sesshomaru said calmly, turning the page of his paper as he listened. "What do you want to do about it?"

"Well, the manager is holding it for me until this evening, but I need to find a place to hide it 'til Christmas. Any ideas who might do it?" Inuyasha asked, pouring milk into his cereal and leaning against the counter to begin eating. Sesshomaru always had good ideas, even if Inuyasha wouldn't have admitted such a thing…ever… to anyone.

"Why don't you ask Kagome?" Sesshomaru said after a moment's thought. "She's always willing to do anything that makes Rin happy."

Inuyasha snorted into his cereal, "She's not the only one, Sessy-kins."

"In fact," Sesshomaru continued, pointedly ignoring his brother's taunting use of Rin's favorite nickname. "You could ask her tonight after you apologize for that rather disgraceful comment you made yesterday." Inuyasha was sure from that that Rin had given Sesshomaru an earful this morning. How else could he have found out about it? Now it would seem that Miroku and Sango weren't the only ones conniving against Inuyasha today.

"Rin has a big mouth," Inuyasha mumbled. Sighing he said, "All right, if it will get you people off my back, I'll apologize to the wench," he pouted. "Jeez, you'd think I never said anything like that to her before or somethin'."

Sesshomaru frowned at his brother, "That is not the way to talk about your future mate, little brother. And I know that Kagome has asked you repeatedly not to call her that." Seeing Inuyasha about to gear up into a full blown growling pout about how Kagome was _not _his 'future mate', Sesshomaru glanced at his watch and shook his head. "As much as I would like to fight about this with you, Inuyasha, I have a meeting to be at in a few minutes. It seems that something has come up at the firm, and those bungling idiots cannot settle it without me. I will be back in time for the party. I will see you this evening. Do try to stay out of trouble." Sesshomaru stood and walked out of the kitchen, shutting Inuyasha's open mouth with one claw as he walked past, effectively cutting off the angry retort about how he didn't get into trouble that the half-demon had just drawn breath to deliver.

Inuyasha blinked, shook his head, and turned back to his soggy breakfast. It wasn't worth it to chase his brother up the stairs for that hasty retreat. It seemed that everyone was out to make him apologize, even him own brother, and he was going to willingly spend several hours with the most vocal of the lot of them. Damn, how did he get himself into these things?

* * *

Well, that's it for this chapter. Next one should be lunch and possibly the party. It looks like this story will be a little longer than expected.

Until we meet again,

Patch

Last Revision: 9/12/05


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available. But, if somebody were to wrap him up with a big red bow and put him under my Christmas tree, I wouldn't tell a soul.

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

A/N: You people are _so _lucky. This story just developed a plot beyond getting our heroes together. Damn! Why can't I ever just write a fluffy pointless piece and let it go? -- Anyway, that means a longer story for you, a possible title change, a definite summary rewrite and a possible rating change in the near future. It also means that my Christmas dead-line has been shot rather merrily to Hell, so bear with me; we're in for a bumpy ride.

Patch

Oh, the plot should kick-in in the next chapter or so, so watch out for it.

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 3

"So you want to get Kagome and the Dog-Boy together, huh?" said the red haired teenager to Rin. "And you want to do it before Christmas." They were sitting on a bench in the park near her house. The couple often came here to get away from their respective parental units. Not only that, but it was peaceful and they were easily found if they were needed.

"Yup, that about sums it up, Shippo," Rin told her boyfriend. "Do you think you can help me?" She turned wide, innocent eyes on the hapless kitsune; she knew he couldn't resist the puppy dog stare. As she waited for his response, Rin studied the young man sitting next to her. Waist-length red hair pulled back in a high ponytail, leaf green eyes that sparkled with mischief and playfulness, he was a handsome example of the male gender. The only things that set him apart from a human teen were the pointed ears that all full demons possessed, and the fox feet and tail that only showed when he let his illusion slip. All in all, he was a very attractive young man, and Rin considered herself lucky to have caught him. And man, did they ever have fun together!

Kitsune were masters of illusions and tricks-basically, if it was magic that involved tricking someone or pulling any kind of prank, a kitsune was sure to know how to do it. And if they didn't, they would find a way to pull it off. That was why Rin so desperately needed Shippo's help. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in Sango and Miroku's abilities; it was just that she felt the odds were better if they had the help of a true trickster. And she said as much to her boyfriend.

"Come on, Shippo," she whined. "How often do I let you trick Yash? And this time I won't let him bash you. In fact, he might even be grateful." Okay, that was pushing it, but what the Hell. Stranger things had happened-look at the Kikyo thing…

Shippo sighed in resignation. He might as well just agree to help her. After all, any excuse to mess with Inuyasha was a good enough reason for him. He didn't hate the half-demon; it was just fun to piss him off-especially when Inuyasha couldn't retaliate.

"Alright, alright, I'll help," he said. "Just turn off the eyes. You know what that does to me." He wiggled his eyebrows at Rin in a lecherous fashion, a gesture that was lost on the girl as she happened to be looking at her watch and not her boyfriend.

"Great!" she exclaimed. "Now come on. We're meeting Sango in twenty minutes so that we can get some decorations for the party. There are a few that Kagome 'forgot'," she told him with a grin. "I'll explain what we've planned so far on the way." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, then turned and headed off toward the Higurashi shrine. It was all Shippo could do to keep from being dragged the whole way. Realizing that he wasn't getting his hand back anytime soon and his girlfriend wasn't about to slow down, he turned himself into a balloon with a string and let Rin drag him to their destination.

* * *

Inuyasha slipped his sunglasses on as he stepped out of the subway station and into the light of a beautiful winter afternoon. The sun was bright that day and he once again silently thanked the unknown person who had developed sunglasses with straight arms. It had been such a relief to him when Sesshomaru presented him with a pair that didn't require the traditional ear placement to be worn comfortably. Now he could go out on sunny days without the pain the sun caused his sensitive eyes. He could function without them, it was just more comfortable if he had them-besides, they looked really cool. The silver frames and red lenses matched most of his wardrobe and they definitely matched his sense of style.

Yash walked down the street toward the café where he was supposed to meet Miroku and Sango. His pace was unhurried; he was a little early and didn't feel like having to wait for them. As he walked, his thoughts turned to the earlier conversation with his brother. Did he really think of Kagome as a future mate? Sure, he liked her…a lot. And he did like to see her happy; it always warmed his heart to see her smile, especially when he was the one she was smiling at. Hell, who was he kidding; he got almost insanely jealous when she was even _nice _to another guy-and they weren't even together!

That had been the biggest reason for him to stay away while she was with that Hojo creep. Inuyasha knew that he would eventually do something he would regret. Like break some essential body part on the guy. He knew that would make Kagome very angry with him, maybe even to the point of ending their lifelong friendship. So, he stayed away and watched them from a distance, hearing about how their relationship progressed from people like Sango and Miroku, and even Rin. But there had never been _any_ indication that they were close to ending it. That had definitely been a shock. He really needed to know what happened and he planned on getting it out of Sango before they left from lunch.

That didn't help him right now, though. He _really_ needed to figure out just exactly how he felt about that woman. Sure, he liked her as a friend, but did it go deeper than that? Did he really care about her enough for it to be considered being in love with her? Did he even know for sure what love was?

Well, he sure as Hell knew what it wasn't-especially after that fiasco with Kikyo. Inuyasha still didn't know what he'd been thinking when he agreed to that. Sesshomaru and Rin had set him up with a woman that Sess had met at a company function. She was the assistant to the president of their biggest client and she was beautiful. Long black hair, ivory skin, deep brown eyes and a figure that would have put the Venus di Milo to shame, Kikyo was a stunning woman. Sess thought she would be a perfect way for Inuyasha to forget about Kagome, especially when Kags started dating Hojo. So, he set them up together.

They went out a few times and things seemed to be going alright, but after about the third or fourth date, Inuyasha started to get a bad feeling about this woman. At first, she had seemed like a warm and caring person, the type of woman that you could consider having a long term relationship with. But then, shortly after their third date, she changed. Calling at all hours and demanding to know where Inuyasha was; never allowing him to even see his friends without a long drawn battle. And then she started getting jealous if Inuyasha even _mentioned_ another woman's name. It didn't even have to be anything like having a conversation with her, just saying the he had seen so-and-so today was enough to launch World War III.

Inuyasha finally got fed up with her behavior and dumped her. He thought after a rather embarrassing break-up scene in one of Tokyo's best restaurants, that he had seen the last of Kikyo. How wrong he was! The phone calls started about two weeks after they broke up. They were always the same; a teary Kikyo begging Inuyasha to take her back, that she could change. When that didn't get her anywhere, she started to threaten not just Inuyasha, but Rin and Sesshomaru, too. Sesshomaru had the number changed after about three weeks of it. That seemed to stop her, or so they thought. A few days after changing the number, Inuyasha started receiving threatening letters and e-mails. At first they weren't that bad. Like the phone calls before them, her messages where full of "Why did you leave me?" and "Please, I can change", things of that nature, but they slowly started getting worse. When he got one that said "If I can't have you, no one can" he went to the police. The restraining order was still in effect and Kikyo wasn't allowed within 500 feet of him, Sess, or Rin.

That definitely wasn't love. Kikyo had said that she loved him, but you don't stalk and threaten the people you love. So, was what he felt for Kagome love? Inuyasha wanted to see her happy. He hated it when she was sad and always went out of his way to make her smile. He wanted to know what made her tick. Even after knowing her most of his life, she still surprised him, and he loved spending time with her. Most importantly, she made him happy and she was always there for him.

Kagome had been the only one able to get through to Inuyasha when his parents died. He had been so lost in his grief that he hadn't eaten or done anything to take care of himself for almost a week after the funeral. Sesshomaru, being a full demon, hadn't understood Inuyasha's very human reaction to losing both parents, and Rin was dealing with her own lose. It was Kagome that finally convinced him to come out of his room and it was Kagome that had comforted him in his sorrow. She was the only one he had felt comfortable enough with to let down all his walls. She was the only one who had ever seen him cry. And, most of all, she understood him.

But was that love? He still didn't know.

The ringing of his cell phone broke him out of his thoughts. Grabbing it off his belt, Inuyasha looked at the display and saw Miroku's cell number flashing there. _That idiot better not be calling to cancel. I did **not **come all the way downtown to be stood up by my best friend._

Flipping the phone open, he answered, "Yeah, what do you want?"

"Do you always answer your phone that way? It's really rude," responded a female voice from the other end. Inuyasha paused for a moment. Why was Sango calling him on Miroku's phone?

"Sorry, Sango, I thought you were the lech," Inuyasha said contritely. He definitely didn't want Sango mad at him. That woman was down right scary when she got pissed off. "What can I do for you?"

"I called to tell you that we're running a little late. Miroku can't find his wallet and he's tearing the house apart." He could hear Miroku in the background yelling, _"Sango, you're supposed to be looking! Get off the damn phone and help me!"_

Sango's voice was muffled as she replied to Miroku, "yeah, yeah, I'm coming. Keep your shirt on." Removing her hand from the receiver, she continued her conversation with Yash, "Like I said we're gonna be a little late. Why don't you go ahead and get a table and we'll meet you in about ten minutes or so, ok?"

Inuyasha heaved a resigned sigh. He didn't really have much of a choice. The café was right around the corner, and besides, what harm would it do to wait. "Alright. Do you want to sit inside or outside?"

"It's such a beautiful day, how about outside?"

"Okay, I'll get the table. You two just get your asses over here and make it snappy, you hear me?" Inuyasha growled, but Sango knew he didn't mean it.

"Whatever." You could just _hear_ her rolling her eyes at him. "We'll see ya in a few. Bye, Yash."

"Bye," he hung up and made his way around the corner to the restaurant, not too happy with the prospect of waiting, but willing to do it for the information he needed. As he came within sight of the place, he was met with a sight he had hoped not to have to deal with just yet. For there, on the patio, very obviously waiting for someone was Kagome. _What is **she** doing here? I wonder who she's waiting for-probably a date. Should I go say hello or act like I didn't see her?_

The choice was taken from him as Kagome raised her head and waved him over. He had to admit, if only to himself, that she really did look pretty sitting there. Long black hair in a high pony-tail, dressed in jeans and a blue sweater, Kagome sat with her back to the restaurant proper. That position was almost like a scene from a chick movie. You know the ones, beautiful girl in a quaint setting waiting for the man of her dreams to come and sweep her off her feet. _I just wish that I was the one doing the sweeping and not whoever she's waiting for._

"Hi, Yash, I didn't expect to see you here," Kagome greeted him, a warm smile on her face. "I was waiting for Sango and Miroku. I thought they would be here by now, but he just called and said they'd be late. What brings you here?"

"I was supposed to meet Miroku and Sango for lunch," Yash was suddenly suspicious. "Did Sango tell you that Miroku lost his wallet and that's why their running late?"

Kagome looked at him with a confused expression. _Why would Sango tell me that? Besides, it was Miroku that called me. _"No, Miroku called and said that Sango couldn't find her shoe and that she refused to wear another pair because these were the only ones that matched her outfit. Why?"

"Don't freak out or anything, Kags, but I think we've been set up." Man, was that lecher _ever_ gonna pay for this!

"I don't think I understand. Why would they set us up? You don't think this is about yesterday, do you?" Kagome certainly hoped not. If it was, then Sango was going to be in serious trouble.

"Well, I just got a call from Sango on _Miroku's_cell phone. Now, before you say anything think about it, why would Sango call on his phone instead of her own?"

"Inuyasha, you're just being paranoid. Maybe her battery was dead. They _are _coming from the same place and going to the same place. And, besides, why would they set us up? You still haven't answered that. And sit down; you're making the waitress nervous." She had a point. The waitress had been hovering right out of speaking range, as if she were trying to decide if he needed anything or if he was going to continue on after talking to the woman seated at the café table.

As Inuyasha took his seat, the waitress approached them. She smiled sweetly at him, taking in the silver hair and dog ears that swiveled toward her as she walked up. She hesitated, though, when she caught sight of the scowl on his face.

"Um," she said uncertainly, "Are you, um, Inuyasha Shiro?"

For a brief moment, Kagome was overcome with an irrational streak of jealousy. How dare this pretty girl walk up to her- wait a minute, Kagome's good sense reasserted itself. What reason did she have to be jealous? They were friends, nothing more. And, besides, the poor girl was only doing her job. Look, there she was handing Inuyasha a note; and there she goes, off to deal with her other tables.

"Probably just gave him her phone number," Kagome muttered under her breath, crossing her arms and pouting.

"Actually," Inuyasha replied, amusement in his eyes. He hadn't missed the jealous look on Kagome's face or the pout and he wondered about it. Oh, well, he would ask her about it later. Right now, though… "It's a note from Miroku. I told you we were set up," he finished, handing her the note.

Her eyes widened in shock at what she read:

_Inuyasha_

_I told you I would see that you apologized properly and I meant it. Sango and I will not be joining you for lunch. Instead, you are to take the money enclosed in this note and have a nice meal with the pretty woman across from you-our treat. And, Inuyasha, if I find out that you upset her again, I will personally kick your ass!_

_Miroku_

_P.S. I can't come with you to get the kitten. Take Kagome, she loves cats. M_

Kagome folded the note and handed it back to Inuyasha. Then she started to giggle, which turned into outright laughter. That little lecher _had_ set them up-on a date! Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the lengths their friends had gone to, and there was no doubt in her mind that Sango had a hand in this, too. At least now Inuyasha's comment about the phone call made sense.

"I'm glad this amuses you," snapped the irritated dog demon across from her.

"Oh, come on, Inuyasha. It's not that bad-unless you really don't want to have lunch with me." Now Kagome was a little uncertain. Maybe he didn't want to spend any time with her. "I wouldn't want you to do something you don't want to do."

Inuyasha took in her hurt and unsure expression and immediately felt guilty. How could she think that he didn't want to be here-with her? _Oh, yeah, my cheery attitude and sparkling disposition._

"What makes you think I don't want to be here?" He smiled at her. "I had every intention of taking you somewhere and apologizing for my behavior yesterday. Miroku just forced me to do it under his conditions."

"Oh." Well, _that_ just made it all better. He had to be forced into this. That was just great.

"I really am sorry, Kagome. I was a jerk and I don't deserve to have you as my friend. And you didn't deserve to be dumped that way," Inuyasha told her. The sincerity in his voice made Kagome rethink her earlier assumption. Maybe he meant it. "If I ever get my hands on that Hobo…"

"Inuyasha," Kagome interrupted him warningly. "You will _not_ go after Hojo. He wasn't the only one who had a hand in that relationship, you know." Kagome looked away. She couldn't tell Inuyasha the real reason she and Hojo were no longer together - she wasn't really ready to talk to him about it at all. Inuyasha seemed to sense her hesitance and he didn't push it.

"So," Kagome broke the slightly awkward silence that had stretched between them. "We have Miroku's money and the whole afternoon. What do you say we have lunch and you tell me about this kitten?"

"That sounds like a good plan to me. And maybe after I can help you decorate for tonight?" Inuyasha asked, trying to hide the hopeful tone in his voice. He didn't really like to decorate, but anything to spend more time with Kagome.

"Well, Sango was supposed to help, but if I know her, and after the stunt they just pulled, I don't expect to see her there when I get home. So, sure, that sounds great," she told him happily, more than willing to spend as much time as possible with him.

"Great. Well, now that that's settled, where did that waitress go-I'm starving!"

Kagome just shook her head and laughed helplessly at him. Seeing that the waitress was a couple of tables over, Kagome waved to her and swore to herself that nothing would spoil this day; she would have a wonderful afternoon getting reacquainted with someone she thought she had lost – Inuyasha.

* * *

It was a wonderful day. They had a pleasant lunch, with one exception, and the rest of the afternoon went well. They didn't even fight. Well, not really. Their one argument wasn't even meant seriously. Kagome tried to convince Yash that he would look absolutely adorable in her pink lip gloss and the conversation devolved into a chase through the mall, ending in them both breathless and laughing.

The only real black spot happened just before they left the café. Inuyasha had asked Kagome what she wanted for Christmas and Kagome refused to tell him. His teasing ended abruptly when a woman walked up and started to speak to him.

_"So, Inuyasha, this is the chit you replaced me with," she said with a sneer. "I have to say, I thought you had better taste than that."_

_Inuyasha growled deep in his throat. Kagome was a little startled at the sound. He only growled like that when somebody was threatening something he considered his or his family. Why would this woman cause him to do that now?_

_"Kikyo," Inuyasha spoke angrily, his voice rough with the growl. "You need to go. You know you aren't supposed to be this close."_

_The woman smiled a smile full of malice, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I just came to warn you. If you want to keep your bitch safe, you need to keep an eye on her. You never know what kind of accidents might happen, and I would hate to see you sad." With an evil chuckle at his dumbstruck expression, she straightened and turned to walk away._

_"I warn you girl," she said as she passed Kagome, "he will be mine again. Watch yourself." She didn't give either a chance to reply, she just continued on her way. Inuyasha refused to answer any of the questions Kagome asked him about that woman and what she had said. After trying for about twenty minutes, Kagome gave up and changed the subject to Rin's kitten._

After lunch, they had gone to the park and walked around for a bit, just getting to know each other again. It had been a while since they had been able to just talk, without Kagome wondering what Hojo would think, or Inuyasha wondering when the psycho bitch would jump out of the bushes. He didn't let on to Kagome, but Kikyo had really scared him. She hadn't shown her face in almost a year and he had really believed that he could put the whole mess behind him and move on. Evidently Kikyo had other ideas.

While they walked, Inuyasha started to realize that, maybe, he _did_ love Kagome. Even if it wasn't love, he knew that he had some very strong feelings for her; and Kikyo threatening her made every protective instinct in him come screaming to the surface, demanding that he remove any and all threats to his woman.This was nothing like the scraps he used to get in with Kouga in high school. This was a bone deep, spine chilling need to protect and he could no more ignore it than he could touch the stars. He decided, right then and there, that _no one _would hurt his Kagome; **_no one._**

The rest of the afternoon saw the couple in the mall, picking up Rin's kitten. Kagome had squealed in delight when she had first seen the little fur ball. She had gone on and on about its beautiful cream colored coat and brown socks and tail. And she couldn't seem to say enough about its gorgeous blue eyes, or the way its brown tipped ears brought out their color. Kagome thought the baby was perfect and she insisted that she had never seen a prettier seal point Siamese kitten. Rin would love it.

Now they were walking back to the shrine to drop off the kitten and to decorate for the party. Kagome was going to call and find out if Sango was still coming to help. They had decided that they really did need her, because Inuyasha was decoratively challenged and didn't know a placemat from a doily. As they climbed the steps to the house, Kagome couldn't help but laugh at Yash. He was obviously uncomfortable carrying the kitten, because he kept trying to hold him around the middle and under his arm while the kitten wiggled and tried to grab his shirt with his claws. Kagome had offered to carry the cat, but Inuyasha wouldn't hear of it. He wouldn't let the shopkeeper put the kitten in a carrier, either. He regretted that decision now. Oh, well, they were at the shrine now and he could unload the little menace.

Kagome unlocked the door and turned to Inuyasha, taking the kitten out of his unresisting hands. She smiled at him, her eyes dancing with suppressed laughter. Turning, she took the kitten upstairs and locked him in her room, and then went in the kitchen to call Sango, her soft chuckles marking her progress through the house.

While Kagome was taking care of all of that, Inuyasha wandered into the living room. Glancing around, his gaze came to rest on the family Christmas tree. Seeing that the lights weren't on, he went over and plugged them in, then stood back and studied the tree.

Multi-colored lights shone brightly causing the tinsel to reflect back and almost twinkle. The assortment of ornaments could almost tell the family history, if one knew what to look for. There was the Popsicle stick sled that Souta made in kindergarten. And there, the slightly misshapen clay reindeer that was testament to Kagome's childhood attempt at sculpting. And, of course, there were the usual baby's first Christmas, as well as other childhood offerings from the kids over the years.

Inuyasha just stared for a few moments, remembering the past of some of the newer ornaments. He found the one Sango had given Kagome a few years back; it was a snowman angel that Kagome thought was the prettiest thing. Then his gaze fell on one he himself had given her, a little white dog with a red ribbon around his neck. As he reached out to touch it, he was startled by Kagome's quiet voice behind him.

"I remember when you gave me that. It's one of my favorites."

Inuyasha smiled faintly before replying. "Yeah, I seem to recall that we had been fighting and he was my apology." He turned to her with an innocent grin, "Can't remember what we were fighting about, though."

"Kouga," Kagome supplied, matter-of-factly. "We were fighting about Kouga. He pulled his 'my woman' crap and then you became the overprotective jealous monster from Hell and I had had enough. I believe that I washed my hands of the both of you…for the rest of the day at least."

"Yeah, well, you had to get home somehow," Inuyasha remembered with a chuckle. He had been her ride home back then. "Do you remember what I told you when I gave him to you?"

Kagome thought for a moment. "You said that I needed someone to protect me and that he was the closest you could come to giving me a guard dog." She looked at him with eyes that sparkled with laughter and the happiness of good memories. Inuyasha's breath caught as he realized how beautiful she looked in the glow from the tree. Without really thinking about it, he moved toward her, closing the small distance between them. He reached out, cupping her cheek in his hand and tilted her face slightly so that he could look in her eyes. Inuyasha almost lost himself in that liquid gaze. Those eyes held only laughter and trust, and another emotion that he couldn't identify. He could have drowned in that endless gaze.

Kagome held her breath, unsure of what he sought when he met her stare, but hoping that he would find whatever he was looking for. She didn't dare to breathe, afraid that she would somehow break the fragile spell that held them; a spell cast by the simple actions of the man before her. What was he doing? Would he kiss her, as it seemed he wanted to? Or would he drop his hand and shut her out as he had done before?

There was a hard road of almosts and missed chances between the two; times when it almost seemed that Inuyasha liked her as more than a friend, and then he would do something insensitive or rude and leave Kagome to wonder if she had imagined it all. Things like that had been going on for so long that Kagome had almost given up on him. Maybe that was what had driven her to Hojo, that and the subconscious need to have him fight for her.

They stood there for several minutes, eyes locked and neither moving. It was almost as if they were searching for something that they had almost given up hope of ever finding. The silence was finally broken when Inuyasha spoke, "You are so beautiful."

His voice was low, shaky and uncertain, as though he were afraid of her response. The faint blush that stained Kagome's cheeks seemed to encourage him slightly, because he smiled tenderly down at her. Taking her answering smile as permission, Inuyasha bent his head down slowly and gently tilted her head up until their lips met in a soft gentle kiss.

He had meant to keep it short and chaste, but as Kagome melted into him it quickly became much more. His arm snaked around her waist as she parted her lips to his questing tongue. Inuyasha lost himself in the moment, reveling in her wonderful taste and the feel of her lips as they moved against his own. He had never felt like this before. Sure, he had kissed girls before, but none of them could compare to the woman he held firmly against himself. It was like he had found a part of himself that he hadn't realized he was missing, but now that he had found it, he never wanted to let it go.

Kagome was in a similar state. The first thing that crossed her mind was that she couldn't believe she was standing in her living room being kissed by the one person that she had almost lost all hope of even receiving affection from. The second was that Hojo had never made her feel like this. Her whole body tingled like she had been hit by lightning. Just when she thought it couldn't get any better, she felt him trying to deepen it…and she let him. This felt too good to let it end anytime soon. But, as they say, all good things must come, inevitably, to an end, and they did need to catch their breaths sometime.

With a gentle parting nip to Kagome's bottom lip, Inuyasha reluctantly released his hold on her, staring into the depths of her brown eyes and praying that he wouldn't see the rejection he half feared would be there. So, imagine his surprise when, not only did he _not_ see anything of the sort in her gaze, but she reached up and placed a brief, chaste kiss upon his waiting lips and then rested her head on his chest.

"Wow," was all that she could say as she snuggled into his embrace. Inuyasha couldn't keep the goofy grin from his face. He would have to thank that pervert for today after all. This never would have happened without their friends' interference. He still couldn't believe that he had not only kissed the woman he was falling in love with, but she had responded and seemed to enjoy it.

"Kagome," Inuyasha's voice was husky and low. It was probably the sexiest thing Kagome had ever heard. "I…"

"Shhh," she placed her finger on his lips to quiet him. "Don't say anything. Let's just enjoy this while it lasts." Sango would be there any minute and Kagome was determined to hold on to their closeness for as long as possible. They stood there for a little bit longer, just reveling in the feel of each other.

The ringing of the door bell broke the fragile spell that had wrapped around them, and for the first time since they met, Kagome cursed Sango and her lousy timing. Inuyasha tightened his arms around her gently before releasing her to go answer the door. He watched her walk over and open it. From his position, he couldn't see who was on the other side, so when he saw her stiffen, he was immediately on alert; and when he caught the scent of the person standing there, that low, protective growl started again, louder this time.

"What are _you _doing here?"

* * *

Well, folks, I think I'll end on that note. Don't bitch about the cliffy. You got a long chapter _and _a major fluffy moment, and all in time for Christmas. As I said before, this fic has taken on a life of its own, so we're in for a longer story than I originally planned. Hope you liked it-let me know. Happy holidays.

Until we meet again,

Patch

Oh, yeah, before I forget. This story is about to get a little dark, so the rating will be changing next chapter. Sorry if that inconveniences anyone, but, well, there you go.

Cat


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available. But, if somebody were to wrap him up with a big red bow and put him under my Christmas tree, I wouldn't tell a soul.

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 4

Kagome stood and stared in disbelief at the young man standing in her doorway. For staring back at her, his short brown hair immaculate as always and his brown eyes warm as ever, was Hojo. For a moment, all she could do was stare at him. Then the sound of Inuyasha's warning growl snapped her out of her stupor and reminded her of the possible danger Hojo was in. She was well aware that Inuyasha fully believed Hojo was responsible for the mess their passed relationship had become and he believed that Hojo had hurt her. She also remembered the earlier conversation she and Inuyasha had had and she didn't have a lot of faith in her ability to restrain him if he decided to make good on his threat. As much as Kagome was hurt by what Hojo had done, she still didn't want to see him injured, especially at Inuyasha's hands. _Gotta__ get him outta here, fast.__ Why's he here anyway?_

__"What are _you_ doing here?" Kagome asked, trying to keep the pain from her voice. For the most part she succeeded, but Inuyasha's keen ears caught the slight hitch she couldn't quite hide. That damn human was hurting her again _and_ he had ruined a perfect moment between him and Kagome. Damn him! Couldn't he see that he wasn't wanted here?!__

"I came to talk to you," Hojo answered simply. "I came to see if you could find it in your heart to forgive me. Can I come in so we can talk?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Hojo," Kagome said, her voice cold. He _really_ needed to go. "I'm a little busy at the moment." Kagome didn't understand it, but the longer Hojo stood there the more anxious and apprehensive she became. He had never affected her like this before and the need to get rid of him was almost overwhelming.

Inuyasha couldn't help but pick up on the anxiety that radiated off of Kagome. His instincts were screaming at him to do something to make it stop, so he stepped up behind her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. Immediately all of the tension that he had been picking up from her melted away and she began to relax a little.

"She doesn't want you here, human. Go away," Inuyasha snarled, forcing Hojo to turn his gaze from Kagome to the half demon behind her. Yash didn't like this human, and he especially didn't like the way the guy was affecting Kagome. If the boy didn't leave soon on his own, then Inuyasha was fully prepared to make him.

"What do you mean 'human'-just who the Hell do you think you are?" Hojo asked indignantly. Turning his eyes back to Kagome, he said, "Kagome, what's going on here?"

"You have no right to ask such things," Kagome stated hotly. "You lost all right to know _anything_ about my life when I caught you in bed with that woman. Who Inuyasha is to me is none of your concern. All you need to know is that he is my friend and here at my invitation, something that you cannot claim." She bowed her head and said quietly, "And he's right; I don't want you here. Please leave." Kagome lost some of her spark and turned slightly, averting her face from Hojo. Inuyasha's growl grew a little louder.

The sound caught Hojo's attention and he once again turned his gaze from Kagome to Inuyasha behind her. It was then that he saw the white, triangular dog ears that were perched atop his head of silver-white hair. His gaze tracked down and took in the amber-colored eyes and the claws that adorned the hand resting on Kagome's shoulder. It all clicked for Hojo at that moment. This was the reason for Kagome's distance in the last months of their relationship. This _demon _had stolen her from him. How dare he! "This is what you left me for!? This piece of demon filth! How can you even lower yourself to look at it; much less let it into your home?!"

Before Inuyasha's stunned mind could register what Hojo said, Kagome reached out and landed a resounding slap across the jerk's face. "Don't you _ever_ speak that way about Inuyasha again! He is worth ten of you and has more honor in his smallest claw than you could ever hope to find in a million years! It _never_ mattered to me that he's a demon and I didn't 'lower myself' to be with him! The only filth that I lowered myself to be with was you!" Kagome's eyes flashed with rage and a barely concealed hatred. "Now I want you to leave and never bother me or my friends again. I can see now how very much of a mistake our relationship was. Goodbye, Hojo." She didn't give him a chance to reply; just grabbed the door and shut it firmly in his face, turning the bolt to lock it. She turned then, trembling, and stumbled over to the couch, collapsing bonelessly onto it and burying her face in her hands.  
Inuyasha stood where she left him, staring sightlessly at the closed front door. She had defended him to that human; said that he was honorable and that she considered him a worthy companion. And, wonder of wonders, his heritage didn't matter to her.

Of all the insecurities Inuyasha had overcome in his life that last was the only one that had always gotten to him. Even though human-demon relationships were acknowledged and sometimes, if the demon had enough status, like Yash's father, grudgingly accepted, they were not encouraged. The offspring of such a union was rarely accepted and, more often than not, they were tormented by humans and demons alike. Inuyasha had endured his fair share of the taunting and teasing when he was younger. The only thing that had softened some of the blows was having his friends beside him-especially Kagome.

Inuyasha slowly turned his head and found Kagome sitting on the couch, crying. He made his way over to her, not entirely sure about what to do. He was never good with crying women, didn't have a clue on how to make them stop. Following instinct, Yash sat down gingerly beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. It must have been the right thing to do, because the next thing he knew, Kagome flung herself into his arms and sobbed, burying her face in his shirt. It sounded like her heart was breaking and all Inuyasha could do was sit there and let her cry on his shoulder.

For a while, he just held her and let her cry it all out. Inuyasha was curious as to what had made the usually stable Kagome break down like this, but he wasn't sure it was his place to ask. Besides, when she was ready, she would tell him.

"Its okay, Kagome," Inuyasha said soothingly, running his hand through her hair. "I'm right here, I'll always be right here for you."

They sat in silence for a little longer, just holding each other. Kagome's tears had long since stopped, but she wasn't ready to let go and face the questions that she knew he would ask. She had really thought that she knew Hojo. How could she have missed the feelings he harbored for the demons that walked among them; and for him to say such things about Inuyasha – that had hurt _her. _Hojo was incredibly lucky Inuyasha hadn't killed him right there on her doorstep.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. He had no right to say those things about you," she said softly, her voice still quivering from the tears she had shed. "I really thought I knew him. I had no idea that he felt that way. You know, after hearing him say that, some of the things he used to do sorta make sense now."

"You don't have to be sorry, Kagome. I know you don't feel that way." Inuyasha tightened his grip on her slightly. "What do you mean 'some of the things he did'?"  
She raised her head and looked at him, her face red and tearstained. "I really don't want to talk about it right now. It has a lot to do with why we're not together and I'm really not ready to tell you about it." At his slightly hurt expression, she reached up and rubbed the ear closest to her. "I will, later. I promise."

Inuyasha felt the inevitable reaction he had to her touch and if he didn't stop her, he was going to do something they would both regret – especially knowing that his affection wasn't one-sided. Reaching up, he gently removed her hand from his ear. She shot him a confused look and he sighed. Now was _not_ the time to be explaining demon anatomy to Kagome, so he just temporized, "Sango will be here soon, and as good as that feels you don't want her to see you like this."

"Huh?" Kagome responded intelligently.

"Well, for one thing," he prepared himself for the blow up that was coming, and he couldn't help feeling like a jerk for knowingly causing it, "your face is a wreck. You might want to do something about it." He was fully expecting her to yell at him and call him a jerk. Instead, she seemed to have not even heard him and her expression was one of thoughtful confusion.

"You know, that's something I've always wondered about," she said looking at him in speculation.

"What is? Why your face gets red and your eyes get all puffy after you cry?" God she was gonna ask about it. The best Inuyasha could do was distract her by being his normal jerk of a self. "I can't answer that, but it is definitely not a good look for you."

"You know your gonna get it if you don't stop with the comments," she shot back at him with a withering look. "No, what I wondered was why you never let anybody play with your ears? You always seem to enjoy it when I do it and that's the first time you've ever stopped me."

Inuyasha sighed and thought fast. He had to get out of this somehow. About the time he started to really panic, the doorbell rang. :_ Whew,_ he thought, _saved by the bell._ : He sighed again, this time in relief, when Kagome got up to answer the door. "You're not off the hook yet, buddy," she shot over her shoulder.

"Persistent as always," Yash muttered. Louder, he said, "I tell you what; when you're ready to tell me about Hojo, I'll tell you about the ear thing. Okay?" He thought for a moment that she wasn't going to go for it, but then, "Okay, you got a deal," set his mind at ease. Now, to decorate and avoid being bashed for insensitivity when Sango saw Kagome's face.

* * *

Having been successful in their attempts to avoid the work of putting "girly touches" on the shrine, Miroku and Inuyasha found themselves at rather loose ends, and Inuyasha took that time to give Miroku an edited version of the day's events. He didn't mention the kiss or the fact that he had held Kagome for almost an hour to comfort her. Miroku didn't need to know that, but Inuyasha was pretty sure that the perv suspected something. He hadn't missed the knowing look Miroku had shot him when he was telling about the incident with Hojo.

"I am not as bothered by Hojo as I am by Kikyo," Miroku told him, gazing thoughtfully into the branches of the great tree that stood sentinel on the shrine grounds. The girls had banished them from the house when Inuyasha tried to flood the place. He was only supposed to fill the glass balls half-way, but what did he know about floating candles and their receptacles. "I think you need to be careful."

"Well, duh. I know that," Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his friend. "What I need to figure out is how much Kagome needs to know about all of this. I mean, she knows that I dated a woman named Kikyo and that it ended badly, but she's never met the bitch – unless you count today. And she knows that I had a little trouble getting the woman to let go when we broke up."

"She doesn't know that Kikyo was stalking you." That was a statement, not a question. Miroku was the only other person who wasn't family who knew about the letters and phone calls. If not for Rin, even _he _would still be in the dark about it all. She had been home alone one night and received a call from none other than the psycho herself. The call had disturbed Rin so badly that she had started calling everyone she knew. Unfortunately for the poor girl, her guardians were out of reach for the evening and almost everyone else she called was either not home or not answering, so by the time she got to Sango and Miroku's number she was almost hysterical. Miroku had told her to stay put and had rushed right over. By then Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had gotten home. It had been a long night of explanations for all of them.

It had really hurt Miroku's feelings that his best friend hadn't confided in him, but it made sense to him that they would want to deal with this on their own. And the fewer people who knew, the fewer targets for Kikyo's warped mind to go after. Of course, all of this just brought the whole Kagome issue into sharper focus.

If Inuyasha told her, then she would know to watch out for Kikyo, but the knowledge of what the bitch was capable of would probably scare her. Not to mention that she would be a target. But then again, if Kikyo's earlier threats were to be believed, she already was. But if he didn't tell her, Kagome wouldn't know to avoid the woman and that might cause all kinds of problems.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Miroku could sympathize with Inuyasha's predicament. He knew how he would decide, given the same situation, but he was not Inuyasha. Besides, Sango could take care of herself.

"I don't know," Yash punched his knee in frustration. "I don't want her to get hurt. I mean, we're just friends" _no matter how much I wish we were more: _"and she doesn't deserve to be dragged into this." He stared off into the distance, his face set in a pensive frown. Finally, after so long that Miroku thought he wasn't going to speak again, Inuyasha gave a sharp nod, having reached a decision. "I'm not going to tell her."

"Are you sure that is wise, Inuyasha? She deserves to have some level of warning." Miroku frowned, his displeasure with Yash's statement obvious.

"At least, I won't tell her yet. All I have to go on is the words of a crazy woman and I-," his voice softened and his look was concerned, "I don't want to scare her."

"Damn, boy, you've really got it bad!" Miroku teased in an effort to lighten the mood. He knew how rare it was for his friend to admit or show his concern for anybody, even those he loved best, and Miroku couldn't help but poke at him for it. He was saved from a death by clawing, however, when his girlfriend came out and dropped a box of lanterns next to the door.

"Hey, can you two lazy bums hang these lanterns and the lights? Kagome wants them in the tree and around the fence and well house." When she didn't get an answer, she looked at them sternly and said, "You either help or you don't get fed."

"Aww, Sango, you don't play fair," Inuyasha whined. Lunch had been hours ago and he was hungry.

"Yeah, well, the party starts in an hour and this is the last thing we have to do. Kagome and I still need to change and you guys haven't done anything since 'the flood'. It's only fair that you do this for us. Please," Sango gave them the puppy dog look. How could they resist. With identical sighs of resignation, the boys got up and went to do as they were asked. At least they would get to eat soon, and then they could relax and just enjoy the company of their friends.

* * *

Kikyo sat in her darkened study and thought about her plans to take back what belonged to her. There was no way that she would let that little tramp keep _her _Inuyasha. Yes, she would do everything she could to get him back-and if that little whore got in the way, she would be eliminated. Should the unthinkable happen, and Kikyo was unable to bring her dog to heel, then he would join his bitch in death's sweet embrace. If Kikyo could not have him, then no one could; she would see to that.

The woman chuckled darkly as she considered her next move. First, she needed information. She needed to know everything she could about that little chit Inuyasha had spent the day with. They had been way too chummy for her to just be a friend. Then she needed to find out what had changed in the past year. Did that brat still live with him? Was he even living in the same place? Was he still friends with that pervert and his slut? These things she _needed_ to know. Finding out about the girl would be the hardest; Kikyo didn't even know her name. Well, that was no matter. She knew what his plans were for the evening; she had overheard the bitch talking about a party while she followed them that day.

The shrine they had stopped at was easy enough to research and finding out who tended it would pose no problem. It was obvious that the girl lived there and all Kikyo had to do was return later and follow Inuyasha home after the little get together was over. Then she would have her answers.

_I should have known that he wouldn't stay when all he could talk about was that Kagome bitch. That's what forced me to such extreme measures! **He** forced me to act that way! And then he dropped me-like I was nothing. Well, I'll show him that he is not so easily rid of me. His bitch had better watch out. Inuyasha will be mine!_

The sound of her evil laugh echoed through the house creating a sinister chill that was felt for miles. She would make them pay for her humiliation and then she would have Inuyasha all to herself. No one could stop her. Her plans were perfect, flawless, and she would not be thwarted.

* * *

Later that evening, Kikyo sat across from the Higurashi shrine and watched as the friends enjoyed themselves. It didn't help her state of mind to see that girl and her Inuyasha under the branches of a lantern-lit tree. They seemed to be exchanging more than just pleasantries and when Inuyasha reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair out of the bitch's face, Kikyo almost lost it completely. The tree she hid behind was short a few branches come morning.

Her ears perked up, though, when she heard Inuyasha ask the girl, Kagome was her name, the same bitch that Inuyasha had such a strong fascination for when they were together, to meet him in the park tomorrow. That was just perfect. Kikyo could set her plan into motion and no one would be the wiser. A dark chuckle shook her frame as she thought about the havoc she was about to bring down on the two before her. Oh, yes, life was about to get _very_ interesting, indeed.

* * *

Well, that's it for now. Sorry it's shorter than usual, but I needed to end there. You'll find out why later. Here's a question for you (we get to see who really reads these things); do you think this is starting too slowly? I mean, here it is chapter 4 and we're only on the second day. Next chapter will move on, but I don't know how far into the week it'll get. So, there's your question. Feedback is welcome and encouraged. Thanks,

Until we meet again,

Patch

**Shout outs:**

I want to take a minute and thank everyone that reviewed, so here we

**Slywolf9**-wow, first review for the new story, you really were looking for it, huh; **Aewi**, **resq188**, **KITN**, **shatteredjade**-"Regrets" perhaps?, **Erinlin**, **IWantMoreIY****, lindygirl**, **katzz**, **InuKitsuneMiko**, **Pkat**, **KagomeBunny**, **Biganimefan1**, **zuppy70**, **case**, **Kagomelover**- no, don't hate you, just gotta keep ya interested, **erinlin**** the random**- Yes! I live! This story is far from over. In fact, I would say it's just getting started. Are you and the other Erinlin the same

**hyperchica11**, **Dreamer Wolf, Inasane Kawaii Shippo-Cha, sangochan, Moonlight Storm, darkkagome**-sorry for the twistedness, your wish is my command, **Slywolf9**- you found me! , **Silver Goddess1, c-dog**-quit, you're making me blush!, **ssp51201**-I'm glad you gave my story a chance and I hope that I don't disappoint you. I have to agree, there are too many stories out there that have incompatible couples in them. Hope to see you again., **Lady Morn**- The best, huh? Between you and c-dog, I think my face may stay this color. Thanks for reviewing!

That's it for now. See ya on the flip side! Cat


	5. Chapter 5

**

* * *

Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available. And since nobody tied him up and put him under my Christmas tree, he'll just have to stay that way. --

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

Oh, yeah. Tsuyu and Yue are mine. They aren't much, but I did come up with them, so don't steal them.

A/N: I want to thank everyone that answered my question from last chapter. It encouraged me to continue as I have begun, but I would request that you, the wonderful people that are reading and reviewing this story, let me know if it does start to drag. I would like to ask a reviewer a question, though, because their review confused me.

So, to **Rootbeer**, am I doing that?

On another note, updates will be getting a little unpredictable. I'm going back to school after having left it for about 5 years and I have a lot of catching up to do. That's not to say that I'm going to stop this story. Quite the contrary. In fact, I have plans for two more set in this universe, so don't think that I'm gonna leave y'all hanging. Now, that being said, I hope that I haven't turned anybody off to this fic. It will be finished and it will probably be pretty long. But then, anything longer than eight chapters is long for me. So, anyway, I just thought you should know and now that I got that outta my system, on with the show!

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 5

Beep,beep,beep Inuyasha groaned as he rolled over and smacked the off button on his alarm clock. He couldn't for the life of him remember why he needed to be up so blessed early. School was out for Winter break, so he didn't have class and Sess didn't need him in the office today, so he must have set the blasted thing for some other reason. A reason that his sleep muddled mind just wasn't supplying for him at the moment. He lay there for a few more minutes, waiting for his brain to engage and catch up with the rest of his body in wakefulness. As the fog cleared and the memory of the other night finally presented itself, he couldn't help the smile that slid across his face. Even though it had started out in uncertainty, it had ended with the reason for his early rising.

Getting up and walking to the closet, Inuyasha made his clothing selection for the day. Slinging the jeans and maroon shirt over his shoulder, he proceeded to make his way out of his room and down the hall to the bathroom with the intent of showering before starting his day. As he stood under the warm spray, he allowed his mind to wander back to the conversation he had had with Kagome that night.

They had been standing under the branches of the lantern laden God Tree. Inuyasha had sought the solitude of the yard when his thoughts had become too overwhelming. He had been trying to decide if he should tell Kagome about his ex; thoughts that had occupied him since Kikyo threatened him at lunch. He still hadn't made a decision and had come outside to try and clear his head. He hadn't realized that Kagome was even there until she spoke.

At first, he had been a little angry at himself for interrupting her evening, but after talking to her, he was glad she had come out there. Inuyasha didn't fight the soft smile that crossed his face at the memory of their conversation.

_"Why are you out here, Inuyasha?" she asked, her voice concerned. He turned to answer her and was momentarily struck speechless at the sight of her. The lantern light cast a warm glow on her skin and the moonlight shimmered in her hair, creating an effect that took the half-demon's breath away. All he could do was stare and wonder if this radiate creature would ever agree to be with him._

_"I came out here to clear my head," he finally answered her. "I couldn't think in there. All the movie noise, ya know?"_

_"Are you alright? You've been kinda preoccupied all afternoon, especially after…um…" She trailed off, as though she weren't sure whether or not to continue. Inuyasha turned intense golden eyes on her. Had she been thinking about that kiss, or was she just so disgusted by it that she didn't want to be reminded? He could understand, after all, why would she want him-_

_"After Hojo," she finished quietly, breaking into his thoughts. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry that happened."_

_"Why are you sorry? It's not like you knew he was coming or anything." _And it's not like you were enjo-

_"He just **had** to interrupt the best moment of the day," Kagome stated, turning to the side and crossing her arms in front of her, frustration evident in her voice. Inuyasha was stunned for a moment. _Did she just say…?__

_"Y-you were upset that he interrupted?" Inuyasha blurted in disbelief. Maybe he had a chance after all. He took an involuntary step back when Kagome turned and looked at him, her face a mask of exasperation._

_"Of **course** I was upset." She threw her hands up at him before turning away again. For some reason, her cheeks flushed a bright red and suddenly she couldn't meet his gaze. "Inuyasha," she continued softly, "I've waited for you to do that for so long that I had almost given up any hope of it ever happening." Inuyasha just continued to stare at her as she drew a breath and just stood there, her hands clasped to her chest. For a moment he considered saying something to break the silence that stretched between them, but something about the far-off look she had made him hold his tongue. He contented himself with brushing away the stray hair that the gentle breeze had blown into her face and waited, knowing somehow that she had more to say and that it was something he needed to hear._

_As the silence continued between them, Kagome moved to sit on the bench beside the tree. Inuyasha followed and perched gingerly next to her, uncertain as to her mood. She hadn't spoken in a few minutes and he was beginning to wonder if he had read her wrong. Maybe she was waiting for his response. If that was the case, he didn't have any idea what to say to her._

_"You know," Kagome said, giggling lightly when Inuyasha started. He hadn't been expecting her to speak. "I find myself at almost a crossroads."_

_"How so?" he asked gruffly when she paused._

_"Well, on the one road, I can continue as I am right now. Single, studying and pining after someone I never thought I could have, but safe and guaranteed not to be hurt." She paused again and looked at him from the corner of her eye before focusing on the Tree in front of them. "Or I could go down another road; one that I have traveled before and been hurt on, but that is so much more rewarding than the safer route." Her soft sigh made Inuyasha look more closely at her. He didn't expect the gentle smile that graced her lips. "I think that I'm ready to travel that road, especially if I'm walking it with the right person."_

_Inuyasha's eyes widened as the meaning to her words fully hit him. "K-Kagome?" He gulped as she turned her gentle gaze back to him. Taking her hand in his, he continued, "I would be honored if you would allow me to walk with you."_

He still couldn't believe that she had agreed.

That had been two days ago. They met in the park the next day and had a picnic, spending a couple of hours together and just enjoy each others' company. He would have loved to have spent the whole day with her again, but Sess needed him at the office that afternoon and Kagome had a shopping date with Sango. So, they enjoyed what time they had and parted ways with the promise of tomorrow; a promise which brought him to the reason for being up and in the shower at 8 in the morning instead of burrowing under his sheets and snoozing till noon.

Stepping out of the shower, Inuyasha grabbed a towel and dried off, then picked up his clothes and put them on. Dressed for the day, he continued with his morning hygiene, and then made his way downstairs to the kitchen. So intent was he on his plans for the day that he didn't notice the others until he ran right into Shippo, who had been standing next to the island pouring himself some orange juice. With an "oof", followed by an irritated growl, then a crash as the glass hit the floor, the two found themselves in an O.J. splattered heap on the floor.

"Damn it, runt! Watch where the fuck your goin'!" Inuyasha's angry curse rang from the bottom of the pile. "Now I'm gonna need another shower!"

"Can it, Dog Boy," Shippo responded calmly, heaving himself up and off of the dog demon. "All you have to do is change clothes. Unlike others, at least it's not in your hair." Shippo's hair was indeed plastered to his head and orange juice dripped down his face in a steady stream. "Besides, I'm not the one that wasn't looking where he was going. If you hadn't run into me, we would both be clean and presentable for our women!"

"Shippo, what's taking you so long? We need to go before Inu-"Rin's voice cut off as she stepped into the kitchen and surveyed the scene before her. For a few seconds, all she could do was stare, and then she burst out laughing. "Y-you…should see…yourselves," she wheezed between giggles. "Shippo..Ha-ha…you're…you're a mess!"

"I'm glad you find this amusing, sweetie," Shippo couldn't control the twitching that started at his eyebrow. By now, he and Inuyasha had picked themselves up off the floor and started cleaning off the juice. "Why don't you come over here and give your man a nice, big hug?"

Shippo had that gleam in his eyes and was advancing on her with his arms open, ready to catch Rin in an O.J. covered embrace. Rin, however, wasn't having any of it and, with a high-pitched squeal that had Inuyasha pinning his ears back, took off for the front of the house at a dead run with the kitsune in hot pursuit.

"Hey, whose gonna help me clean up this mess?!" Inuyasha hollered after them. His only answer was the rumble of footsteps on the stairs followed by the slamming of a door. Then Shippo could be heard saying in a sing-song voice, "Oh, Ri-in, let me ii-in!" which was immediately followed by the sounds of feminine giggles.

Realizing that help was _not_ forthcoming from those two, Inuyasha resigned himself to cleaning up the glass and spilt juice. Finishing with that chore, he grabbed a muffin from the basket on the counter and poured himself a glass of milk before sitting down at the kitchen table and finishing his planning for the day. Since Sango was staying with Kagome until Miroku got off later, Inuyasha had made plans to see Kagome that evening. But, just because he wasn't going to see her didn't mean that he couldn't let her know that he was thinking about her. Besides, it gave him time to go back to the mall and get her Christmas present.

So, with these plans firmly in mind, Inuyasha went back upstairs and changed his orange juice spattered clothes and then made his way out of the house and down the street to the flower shop on the corner. Now, this particular shop was really nothing special. It was small and a little run-down and its selection could easily be bettered by the florist three streets over. The thing that made this place special to Yash, though, and the reason he came here every time he needed flowers, was the owner, one Tsuyu Morimoto.

The tinkling of the bell as the door was opened summoned from the back a short, slender woman who looked to be in her mid to late 40's. Shoulder length black hair that was going a little grey; soft, expressive blue eyes that always held the spark of laughter and an open face, Tsuyu's family had been selling flowers to the Shiro men for as long as _Sesshomaru_ could remember. Which meant that she had been there since Inutaisho, the boys' father, had started courting Sakura, Inuyasha's mother; and probably before even then. So it was only fitting that this be the place Inuyasha came to whenever he needed flowers for any reason.

"Well, if it isn't little Yashie," Tsuyu's teasing voice rang through the little shop. "What did you do this time? Lose Rin's favorite necklace again? Or did you piss off another one of Sess' secretaries?"

"Now, Tsuyu," Yash said, walking up to the counter. He let the 'little' comment slide. After all, she _had_ known him since he was a pup, and she treated him like her own son. "What makes you think that I did something _wrong_? Can't I just come and visit."

Tsuyu regarded him critically. "I don't know, Yashie, maybe it's because you only come in here when you've upset some woman or other and you need to sooth ruffled feathers. I swear, for such a handsome young pup, you sure don't have real good luck with women!" She chuckled at the red that tinged his cheeks. "Oh, come on now, Yashie," she said, coming out from behind the counter. "You know I didn't mean it. Now come over here and give this old woman a hug, you little rascal."

Yash was more than happy to comply, for as much as Tsuyu teased and embarrassed him, she had a good heart and he was rather fond of her. "I think you've shrunk, old woman," Inuyasha teased. "Didn't you come to my chin last time?"

"Oh, you," she laughed, swatting at his arm. "Quit!" Stepping back behind the counter, Tsuyu was all business. "Now, what brings you to see me if not an apology?"

"Well," Inuyasha fidgeted a little and looked around the shop at the various arrangements that Tsuyu had on display. As pretty as they were, none of them really caught his eye and said "take me, I'm perfect for Kagome!" "I finally got Kagome to agree to see me…"

Tsuyu's delighted squeal cut him off. "You mean that pretty little girl that you've been chasing for years? The one that you thought you'd never have a chance with because you didn't want to ruin your friendship or some such twaddle?" Yash's blush was all the confirmation she needed. "Oh, Yashie, that's wonderful! Now, you wait right there. I have the perfect arrangement in the back; it just needs a few finishing touches. Don't you go anywhere. I'll be right back."

Without giving him a chance to respond, Tsuyu was gone, the door to the back room swinging in her wake. After about ten minutes, she reemerged with a beautiful arrangement of roses, evergreen and stargazer lilies. Yash caught his breath at the sight. It was absolutely perfect! The red and white roses blended beautifully with sprigs of evergreen and the light blush of Kagome's favorite flowers interspersed throughout added just the right touch.

"Well?" Tsuyu said proudly, "What do you think? Is this close to what you were looking for?"

"It-it's perfect," Inuyahsa breathed. "But how did you know what Kagome's favorite flower was?" Inuyasha couldn't remember ever mentioning it to the florist. Hell, the only reason _he _knew was because Kagome had mentioned it in passing one day at the park. They had passed a flower stand and the lady attendant had given her one.

"She told me." At Inuyasha's disbelieving look, Tsuyu elaborated. "When you came in here to get that last lot, I asked her while you were looking over there," she gestured to the other side of the shop. "She was more than happy to tell me. In fact, she said that it had been a while since some one sent her flowers."

Inuyasha was a little shocked to hear that. Kagome had still been seeing Hojo when she came with him the last time and Yash remembered seeing fresh flowers sitting on the table in her front room. He had just assumed that Hojo had given them to her. It would appear that he assumed wrong.

"Now," Tsuyu continued, breaking into Yash's thoughts. "I suppose you want these delivered?"

"What? Oh, yeah, can you get them there by around 10:30 or so?" Yash asked, looking at his watch.

And so, directions were given and timeframes ironed out and Yash was just about to take his leave of the place when Tsuyu's next question stopped him. "What do you want me to put on the card, Yashie? I assume you want to write this one."

"Card?" he responded intelligently, scratching his head. "What card?"

"'What card?!'" Tsuyu exclaimed, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "Really, Inuyasha, I thought you knew better than that! I swear you can be so dense sometimes." Ignoring the demon's irritated growl, she continued in a 'how-can-you-be-so-stupid' tone, "The card, my dear pup, which is generally attached to the arrangement that lets the recipient know where the flowers came from. It is generally acceptable to have a personal message attached as well."

"I know that, old woman," Inuyasha grumbled. "I just hadn't really thought about it." He shook his head and pouted, "Never had to do it for the others."

"That, little one, is because Yue and I always did them for you." Yue was Tsuyu's seventeen-year-old son and helped her by delivering flowers. "We figured that was better than letting you make the situation worse. Now," she tapped the sputtering dog demon on the nose, "have you thought about what you want it to say?"

The truth was that he really hadn't thought about a note. He had planned on timing the delivery so that he could call and surprise her a few minutes after they got there. But now that he had a chance to really consider the idea, the perfect words came to mind. It was the perfect way to express how he felt and to thank her for giving him a chance. "Yeah, Tsuyu, I think I know exactly what to say."

* * *

An hour or so later saw Inuyasha walking happily out of the mall pet store loaded down with several bags. He had needed to go and finish outfitting the kitten that was currently terrorizing Kagome's overweight feline, Buyo. He had a litter pan, dishes for food and water and a few toys. He figured that he couldn't get too many, or Rin wouldn't be able to get anything for the little guy. He couldn't resist the little fuzzy mice at the checkout, though, so the kitten now had one burgundy and one blue fuzzy to bat around the place on Christmas morning. Also contained in the bag was the rest of Sesshomaru's present. Man, was Yash ever gonna get it now! Sess was never gonna live this Christmas down!

He still didn't have anything for Kagome and that was making him a little crazy. He had been here for a while and had gone to just about every place he could think of that might have something she would like, but nothing really seemed to fit. Deciding that he needed a little nourishment, Inuyasha made his way to the food court and, after aquiring a steaming bowl of noodles, set his arm load down at a table and proceeded to wrack his brain for a possible gift. After about five minute, he still couldn't come up with anything. What was he going to do?

Inuyasha sat deep in thought. He was getting ready to break down and just call Sango when a scent in the air made his nose twitch and he sighed in irritation. _Great, _he thought, _just what I need; to be annoyed by Rin's little fox. It's not enough that he spilled juice on me this morning. Now he has to bother me here! _Inuyasha turned and regarded the kitsune, not at all surprised that the pest was right behind him. "What do you want, brat?"

Shippo just rolled his eyes. He was used to Inuyasha's rudeness. You really couldn't spend any time with the youngest Shiro without becoming immune. "I just thought that you might need some help figuring out what you can get for Kagome for Christmas." He couldn't resist baiting the older demon. "Although why she would want anything from an annoying, rude guy like you is beyond me."

"Why you…" Inuyasha stopped just shy of bopping Shippo. He knew what the kit was up to and he wasn't going to fall for it. "It's not gonna work this time, kid. I know that you and Rin are up to something and I ain't fallin' for it. So if you're just here to pester me, go away; I got stuff to do."

Shippo looked shocked for a moment. How did Dog Boy figure it out? He had thought that they had been discrete about their planning. Of course, he never had given the older demon any credit for having functioning brain cells. Shippo held his hands up in front of him in surrender, "Alright, alright, you caught us. Rin and I just wanted to see you two together. You've been trying for so long and I think Rin finally felt sorry enough for you to butt in."

Inuyasha considered being angry for a minute, and then just sighed in resignation. "Ok, kid. You two have obviously been planning this and, while I really don't approve of you butting into my life, I am stuck. Now, if you have any suggestions, I'm listening." Yash paused a moment as a thought struck him. "By the way, Shippo?" He waited for the kitsune to look at him. "Where's Rin? I thought you were spending the day together."

Shippo let out a sigh of his own, "She threw me out and said that she had some things she needed to take care of and told me not to come back until I had her Christmas present."

Inuyasha chuckled at the woebegone expression on the young fox's face. He could just hear Rin doing exactly that. "Well, Shippo," Inuyasha got up and stretched before throwing a companionable arm around the surprised boy's shoulders, "it looks like you and I both have a quest to complete." He grinned when Shippo nodded. "Shall we get to it, then?"

Picking up his other purchases, Inuyasha and Shippo headed into the depths of the mall, intent on finding the perfect gift for the women in their lives; even if it killed them.

* * *

Several hours and a battered Shippo later, Inuyasha had what he was looking for and was ready to go home. He was only stopping there long enough to drop off his purchases and Shippo, and then he was headed to meet Kagome for their date. Inuyasha hummed quietly to himself as he and Shippo made their way down the street. It had been a rather good day for him and the evening promised to go just as well. There had been no signs of Kikyo and that just made everything better, at least to his mind.

After going in long enough to put everything away and change his shirt, Yash found himself on the road to the shrine. He couldn't help but smile as he thought about the look on Kagome's face when she got her flowers. He could imagine her eyes lighting up and the smile that would bloom as she took in the scent of the beautiful blossoms. And he hoped that she had had a positive response to the note he wrote. He just wished he could have been there when she got them. Oh, well, he was sure she would tell him exactly how she felt when she saw him.

Making his way up the steps, he paused long enough to laugh at Buyo. The poor thing looked like he had been run over. His hair was sticking up and he kept looking around like he was expecting to be attacked at any minute, his tail lashing in fear and anxiety. Inuyasha chuckled, "Don't worry, boy. He'll only be here for a few more days." Buyo didn't look convinced and made a dive for the bushes at the top of the shrine steps.

Inuyasha was still laughing as he knocked on the door, but he quickly sobered when the door opened and he was confronted by an enraged Sango. "Inuyasha Shiro! How could you! I knew that you could be a real jerk, but this is low even for you!" Then, before he could even ask her what the Hell was going on, she proceeded to do the last thing that Yash ever expected her to do. She slapped him and then slammed the door in his face.

* * *

A/N: Well there you go. What has Inuyasha done now? You'll just have to wait and see. Hope it was worth the wait. Remember; let me know what you think.

Until we meet again,

Patch


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available. And since nobody tied him up and put him under my Christmas tree, he'll just have to stay that way. --

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

Oh, yeah. Tsuyu and Yue are mine. They aren't much, but I did come up with them, so don't steal them.

A/N: Wow, you guys _really _didn't like that cliffy. Can't imagine why. And nobody guessed right about the note. You'll find out soon, though.

Anyway, I'm gonna take a minute and give a couple of shout outs, 'cause I opened my inbox and got the surprise of my relatively short fic-writing life. One of my favorite authors actually reviewed this story. It made me feel a lot better about what I'm doing and where this story's going, knowing that someone whose stories I enjoy is enjoying mine. So, thank you, **Emeralddragon**, for taking a moment and dropping a line. I have greatly enjoyed your works and I hope that mine will live up to that standard. If you guys haven't read her stuff, go do it. You won't regret it!

And to **Wyltk**; whoa, cut down on the sugar. (J/k) All of your questions will be answered eventually, but you have to be patient. I'm really flattered that you have me in such outstanding company. I've read a few of those authors and they are _very_ good. I don't think I can do half as well, but I try. I hope that I have alleviated some of your boredom for the moment. Have a good read. Oh, I know that you left the review for Ch.4, but I kinda rushed the last ones out and didn't do responses. Sorry.

I really appreciate _all _of the feedback that I have received so far, and I will thank the rest of you at the end of this chapter, 'cause this is gettin' kinda long.

Now, without further ado, on with the show!

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 6

Kikyo was frustrated. She had been following Inuyasha for two days now and she was no closer to initiating her schemes than she had been when she started. The idiot just had to take that slut to a crowded park yesterday, and then he didn't even stay with her for very long. And it was no fun trying to pull them apart without seeing the reactions of both parties. It was obvious that the two were in the beginnings of a relationship, and Kikyo was determined to do everything in her power to stop it. It was so easy to sow dissent when feelings were still new and trust had not yet had a chance to blossom. All it took was a well placed deception - or an untruth overheard - and the rest generally took care of itself.

Kikyo had been unsure if an opportunity would present itself today, so she was pleasantly surprise when her target made his way to a run down flower shop. She had gone home the night before with the intention of being in front of the Shiro home early this morning in case there was a chance she could do something small, but the late night spent plotting her first malicious action and gathering the things she would need for it, had been harder on her than she thought and she barely made it in time to follow Inuyasha to his destination. Standing just outside the door, she was able to overhear the entire conversation, from what flowers he was buying to the exact wording of the note on the card. It was while they were discussing the card that Kikyo conceived a brilliant way to cause distrust between the new couple; and she couldn't wait to put her plan into motion.

The spying woman made haste to duck into a nearby alley as Inuyasha exited the shop. She had made sure that she always remained downwind or, if that wasn't possible, across the street from him. Anywhere that had enough odors to disguise her scent from the dog demon's enhanced senses. It wouldn't do to have him catch her near him. That would ruin everything.

She had his plans for the day, thanks to his discussion with the shopkeeper, who appeared to be some sort of acquaintance, so she knew that she had time to prepare. The dog would be out of the way for the whole afternoon and, by the time he found out what she was planning, it would be too late to do anything about it. Kikyo couldn't stop her evil laugh as she found a bench within sight of the florist to enjoy the morning sunshine. She would be patient and wait for the perfect opportunity. : _It won't be long now, Inuyasha. Your time with that bitch will soon be over!:_

* * *

Inuyasha was stunned. Sango had _never_ raised a hand to him in anger before. Not once, in all the years they had known each other, had he ever made her mad enough to strike him-at least not seriously. Unless they were sparring, but even then she was usually cool and levelheaded. And, sure there were the usual half-hearted smacks when he was being stupid or making a complete ass of himself, but none of them had ever felt like this. He had been standing there, stunned, for about ten minutes, just staring at the door; his cheek _still_ throbbed. When his mind was finally able to grasp what had happened, though, he was angry.

How dare she hit him! He hadn't done a damn thing to deserve it! And what did she mean 'How could he'? How could he what? All he had done today was send his girlfriend flowers and shop for some Christmas presents while trying not to strangle his niece's boyfriend, so it wasn't like he had done anything out of the ordinary. Okay, maybe the flowers thing was a little unusual for him, but so was having a girlfriend to send them to. And the whole not strangling Shippo thing was a little unusual, too, but that was beside the point. The point, as far as Yash was concerned, was that he hadn't done anything wrong, and who the Hell was Sango to keep him from seeing his girl!

"Well, standing here sure as Hell ain't gonna get me any answers, or in to see Kagome," he grumbled before knocking on the door again. This time though, he was ready when Sango opened the door. Grabbing her hand as she drew back to hit him again, Inuyasha forced Sango into the living room, closing the front door behind him as he went. "What the Hell is going on Sango? As far as I know, I ain't done nothin' wrong today that I deserve to be slapped for. Shit, woman, my cheek's _still_ throbbin'."

Sango just stared at him, her mouth gaping in disbelief. How could he possibly _not _know what he had done?! That note had to have come from him; it had his name on it. Besides, who else would send Kagome flowers? "Damn you, Inuyasha. I can't believe that you would sink so low as to do this and then stand there and deny that you've done anything wrong! I really thought that I knew you. Shit, Inuyasha we've been friends for years and I've never seen you this cruel. How could you do that to poor Kagome? All she ever did was like you, you bastard, and you had to go and break her heart like this!"

Inuyasha was holding his temper by the barest of threads. It was only because she was a friend that he was allowing Sango to get away with what she was saying. He had to keep telling himself that she was upset and thought he had done something that had obviously hurt her and Kagome's feelings or she never would have attacked him like that. "Sango, I am trying very hard to figure out just what the Hell you're talking about, but I can't if you don't calm down and tell me **what the fuck is going on!**"

Sango quit struggling to get her hand back and actually looked at her friend. He never took that forceful tone unless he really didn't know something and was determined to get the information. "You really don't know what I'm talking about." It was a statement; she could see the answer in his eyes.

"No. I don't," Inuyasha responded with a sigh. At least she was listening now and had quit her thrashing. "Now, why don't you sit down," he gestured behind him to the couch and released her hand, "and tell me what I've supposedly done that offends you so much."

Sango sat down and crossed her arms petulantly. "Kagome got your flowers," she said, looking at him. She was obviously waiting for some reaction from Yash, but from her shocked look, the smile that crossed his face wasn't it. "How can you sit there and grin like that after that note you sent with them?" she snapped.

Inuyasha's face fell a little. "She didn't like the note. Maybe I should have let Tsuyu write it after all," he finished in an undertone.

Sango couldn't believe him. "Of course she didn't like the note, you jackass! That had to be the most insensitive thing that I have ever seen you do!"

Insensitive? That note had come from his heart. How could it be insensitive? "Sango, I don't know how you can say that it was insensitive. I've never been more sincere in my life!"

"WHAT?" Sango was up and screaming in his face. "You told her that you thought the last two days was a mistake and that you didn't ever want to see her again! You led her on and broke her heart. And then you have the nerve to-"Sango cut off when she caught the look on Inuyasha's face. She really wished that she hadn't. She had never seen him that angry in her life, and the red in his eyes was enough to make her pause in her tirade.

"What did you say that note said?" Inuyasha fairly hissed at her as comprehension of her words sank in. That Sango would think that he could do something like this was enough to make him angry, but finding out why she was really mad was enough to make him see red. "Where's Kagome? We need to clear this up."

"I don't think it's a good idea that you see her right now, Uncle," Rin's voice came from the direction of the stairs. Inuyasha had been so caught up in finding out why Sango was so mad that he had missed her scent entirely. "You need to find out how this happened before you talk to her."

"Rin? What are you doing here? And where's Kagome? Is she alright? Come on, Rin, **move**!" Rin just stood at the base of the stairs, ignoring his rapid-fire questions and blocking his attempts to get past her. She was relying on the fact that he would never harm her to keep him in check. He really wasn't going to like what she was about to suggest.

"You need to find out what happened first, Yash," she looked up at him, her eyes begging him to listen to her. She had known that something was seriously wrong when Sango called earlier and asked her to come help calm Kagome down. Not knowing what the problem was, she had sent Shippo out to help Inuyasha with his shopping, knowing that the half-demon didn't have a clue what to get Kagome for Christmas. She had made it just in time to save a beautiful arrangement of roses and Stargazer lilies from the trash canned fate to which Kagome was about to commit it. When she heard the whole story, something about it had rung false. Inuyasha was insensitive, sure; but he wasn't cruel. And this was cruel.

"Those flowers came from Tsuyu's place, didn't they?" Inuyasha was thrown off enough to nod. "Then Yue delivered them." Without waiting for an answer, Rin grabbed Yash by the hand and dragged him to the door. "You need to go and talk to both of them. Maybe they know how those notes got switched." By now, what the girl was saying had sunk in to her elders, and they both reacted.

"You mean you believe me?" Inuyasha was relieved. If Rin believed him, then she could help explain things to Kagome and get Sango off his back.

"Of course I believe you. I know that you would never do anything to hurt Kagome and if Sango would calm down and think instead of just reacting, she would realize that, too." Rin motioned Yash toward the door. "Go on. You need to find out what happened and get Kagome to calm down."

"I'm coming with you," Kagome's voice from the direction of the stairs stopped all of them where they stood. Inuyasha turned from the door and looked behind him, getting his first good look at Kagome and what he saw made him rush to her side. Kagome's face was red and tear-stained. Her eyes, red-rimmed and puffy, held a sad determination in them. It was obvious to Yash that she wanted to know what had happened as badly as he did. He reached out as though to touch her arm, but dropped his hand when she flinched away.

"Please," she said hoarsely, "don't." She closed her eyes and drew a shaky breath. "I want to believe that you didn't mean it. I really do." Kagome's eyes opened and she stared at Yash as though pleading with him to prove her faith well-founded. "So I'm going with you when you talk to them. I want to know the truth." :_ No matter how much it may hurt.:_

"All right," Inuyasha moved back to the door and opened it, "let's go. Rin, you and Sango stay here. This shouldn't take too long."

The trip to Tsuyu's was quiet and strained, the only noise between them the sounds of the train they rode and the barking of a dog as they walked down the street. It was as though the easy camaraderie that they had shared for the last few days had never existed and all because of a stupid note. Why was it that all of his good intentions always blew up in his face? More important than that was who had done this, and why? Inuyasha's fists clenched and a soft growl started in his throat as a possibility occurred to him.

Kikyo.

This was right up her alley and there was no question in Yash's mind that she was responsible. Hadn't she just threatened them the other day? The only problem now was how to prove it and get Kagome to trust him. As a friend, he had no doubts that she did, but with her heart? He had no illusions there. He was still earning it, and this was a setback that he was determined to overcome.

Inuyasha was so caught up in his thought that the ringing of Tsuyu's bell startled him. "Well," he looked at Kagome from the corner of his eye, "now we can get some answers."

"Answers to what, sweetie? What happened?" Tsuyu had come out of the back and was obviously confused. She had been so sure that Kagome would love the arrangement, so seeing her here, signs of weeping obvious on her face, made her wonder what Yash had done this time.

"I need to speak to your son, Tsuyu. It's important," Inuyasha growled. As close as she was to the family, right now was no time for pleasantries and Inuyasha was sure that Tsuyu would forgive him.

"Well, you don't have to be rude, Yashie," the florist huffed. At Inuyasha's impatient grumble, she rolled her eyes and turned back to the storeroom door. "He's in the back. Give me a minute and I'll get him." Standing at the door, she cracked it open and hollered for Yue.

It only took him a minute to come up front, but it seemed like forever to the impatient young demon. Inuyasha turned to Kagome and, gesturing at the boy, asked, "Is this the guy who delivered your flowers?"

Kagome studied the young man before her. It was obvious at first seeing them together that Tsuyu and Yue were related. They had the same facial structure and eye color, but where Tsuyu's hair was jet black, her son's was a dirty blonde-a legacy of his late father. It was this feature that Kagome remembered most clearly. She hadn't known that Tsuyu had married an American.

At Kagome's affirmative nod, Inuyasha turned to Yue and told him, in a tone that brooked no nonsense, "You are going to tell me everything you did today. From the time that you left to deliver those flowers, to the time that you got back here. Leave nothing out, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you. Do you understand?"

The boy swallowed and nodded nervously. Looking at the angry dog demon in apprehension, Yue was drawing breathe to answer when his mother cut in, "What's going on Inuyasha? Why are you asking him all of this? What happened?"

"Don't worry about it, Tsuyu. This doesn't concern you," Inuyasha told her brusquely. Tsuyu advanced on him and poked her finger into his chest.

"Like Hell it doesn't concern me! That's my son you're terrorizing! Now tell me what is going on or I won't let him answer you!" From the steel in the older woman's voice, Inuyasha knew that she meant it. So, with a resigned sigh, he related the events of the day, Kagome filling in any gaps. When it became obvious to Tsuyu that this was going to take some time to straighten out, she went to the door, locked it and changed her sign from 'open' to 'closed'.

"So," the florist said after they were finished telling their tale, "Now you need to know who Yue talked to on his delivery."

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Yash replied tiredly. He had hoped to clear this up quickly, but it looked like they were going to be here a while. Tsuyu had evidently had the same thought, because she gestured at them to follow her to the backroom. Coming through the door and looking around, Inuyasha wasn't surprised to see all the various paraphernalia needed for flower arranging. What did surprise him; however, were the chairs and couch that were arranged around a low table near the back of the room. Behind that, along the one wall that did not have flower containers and work tables against it, he saw a small stove and a tiny refrigerator. This was obviously where the two took their rest when they weren't working.

After everyone had settled, with Kagome and Tsuyu on the couch and the two boys in chairs across from them, the older woman nodded to her son, indicating that he should tell his story. Taking a deep breathe, Yue took a moment to gather his thoughts, and then told them about his day.

* * *

From her bus bench across the street, Kikyo had an unobstructed view of everyone who went into or came out of Tsuyu's shop. She was patiently waiting for the delivery boy to make his way toward the Higurashi shrine, but her patience was beginning to wear thin. Just about the time that she was getting ready to give up and go back to her original plans, however, the boy came out of the back alley and made his way down the street, his delivery in hand. Kikyo rose a few minutes later and followed him, the crowd keeping his pace to a fast walk and providing her cover.

It only took two or three street changes for Kikyo to realize that she was not the only one shadowing this boy. Curious, she stayed behind them both, all the while making sure that she was spotted by neither. Her interest was further piqued when the stranger stopped her quarry just three blocks from their destination.

Kikyo wasn't close enough to hear the conversation between them, but what she saw had something to do with the greeting attached to the flower arrangement. She watched as the young delivery boy shook his head uncertainly and then seemed to be convinced by whatever he was told. She watched as the other follower handed the boy a small envelope, not unlike the one already in place, but refuse the old one when the boy offered it. In a matter of moments, the boy was off again, but instead of continuing after him, Kikyo decided to follow the other figure. _:Perhaps__ this person can assist me. I must find out what that was about.:_

She followed for a short time, waiting for an opportunity to speak with the stranger. Her luck was with her as she turned a corner and saw her quarry being seated at an outdoor bistro table. Approaching it, Kikyo waited for the seated figure to acknowledge her before taking the vacant seat across from him.

"I saw what you did with that note," she said without preamble. "What does the new one say?"

The stranger looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Who are you? Why do you want to know?" he asked suspiciously.

"My name is Kikyo and I am concerned with anything that involves Inuyasha Shiro. That arrangement was meant for his current fling and you tampered with it. So," she leaned forward menacingly, "I want to know what your little note said."

She watched with satisfaction as the figure before her swallowed nervously and seemed to consider her words before speaking. It was obvious that he thought she was someone connected with the admittedly powerful family and he didn't want any trouble from her. She was content to allow him to think so as long as it got her the information she wanted. "It said that the last few days were a mistake and that he never wanted to see her again."

Kikyo could barely keep her interest from showing. This man obviously had a reason to separate the two; and she decided right there that she needed him on her side. This whole debacle with the note was so much better than giving the slut dead flowers, which had been her original thought. This one note would break the girl's heart and make her lose any trust she ever had in the half-breed.

"You've been following them," she stated. It was a guess, but Kikyo was sure that he had; after all, the note said 'the last _few_ days'. His startled expression confirmed her assumption. "Why?"

"Because I was looking for a way to break them up. Kagome can do so much better than that filthy half-breed." The stranger's voice was firm with conviction. "I would do anything to make her see that and come back to me."

Kikyo couldn't contain her glee and began to chuckle softly. The possibilities were endless with a partner and the person across from her was perfect. He appeared to be fairly intelligent and the thought he had put in this one cruel action convinced her that he could help her. Now she just had to convince _him_. "I believe that we have a mutual objective. You see, I want to split them up and get my man back. Maybe we could help each other?"

He thought about it for a few minutes. It would be easier to accomplish this task if he had some assistance. This woman seemed to be very committed to breaking the couple up and he could use the help. Making up his mind, he nodded. "Fine, but I want to be there when they end it."

"I'm sure that that can be arranged. Now, I would know the name of my partner," Kikyo smiled, holding out her hand for him to shake.

"Oh, forgive me," he said grasping her hand. "My name is Hojo."

* * *

A/N:

You don't know how tempted I was to end it before telling you who the stranger was or who changed the note, but I didn't want to be yelled at. Now, as promised, shout outs:

**Anubishimura****, zuppy70, InuyashaForEver, reqs188**-hope I ended your torture. About _Regrets_ – I'm working on it, I'm working on it.**, Rootbeer**-sorry, but I think there may be a few more coming**, lindygirl(), Starflare()**, and **RyuuDavi0. **Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They make my day. I apologize if I missed anybody.

Now about that little further up. I realize that this sentence is grammatically incorrect and I apologize. Just to prove that I can be correct when I need to be, I'm going to write this sentence correctly.

Ahem

"As far as I know, I haven't done anything wrong today for which I deserve to be slapped."

Now, that done; have you ever heard Inuyasha speak correctly? Grammatically speaking, that is. I'm sure that this didn't bother many of you, but it bothered me for days, so I had to clear that up. Anyway, now that my A/N has gone on for days, I leave you with this thought: "What does not kill us makes us stronger." It doesn't really have anything to do with anything, I just like the quote.

Until we meet again,

Patch


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available. Unless he shows up at my door with chocolate and a dozen red roses; even then I don't think my husband will let me keep him. --

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

Oh, yeah. Tsuyu and Yue are mine. They aren't much, but I did come up with them, so don't steal them.

On with the show!

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 7

"So, I was walking down the street, dodging people and trying to get done as quick as I could, ya know. I wanted to get back and get my homework done before Ma found out that I hadn't done it yet," Yue started his tale, ducking his head sheepishly when he caught his mother's frown. Tsuyu held her tongue, though, and motioned for him to continue. They could have that discussion later, after they had straightened all of this out. "Anyway, I was about three, maybe four blocks from the shrine, when this dude stops me. He said that he was Inuyasha's brother's assistant and that he needed to trade the card I had for this new one that he had. Well, I wasn't real sure about that and I asked him why Yash didn't just bring it himself, 'cause I figured that it was a personal thing and Yash would want to change things himself, ya know." Yue shifted uncomfortably. He knew that the demon beside him was not going to like the guy's answer.

"What did he say, boy?" Inuyasha snarled impatiently when the teenager had been silent for a few minutes.

Yue jumped and stuttered his answer, "H-he said that y-you couldn't be bothered to do the j-job when a lowly h-human could be spared to do it instead."

"**What!!**" Inuyasha roared, shooting up and towering over the boy, who quivered and cowered in his seat. How dare this human say such things-such lies! How could he possibly think that Inuyasha would say such a thing! The very idea was ludicrous, and had the demon shaking in rage. The only thing that calmed him was Kagome's hand on his arm as she stood beside him and tried to get him to settle down.

"Calm down, Inuyasha," she pleaded. "He's only telling you what the guy said. You know that Yue doesn't think that you would do that." She turned him away from the cowering teenager until he was looking at her. Catching and holding his gaze, Kagome told him gently, "For that matter, neither do I."

Inuyasha felt his rage melt away like snow in July. How could he stay angry when what she spoke was the truth? Damn it, he knew that Yue looked up to him and would never think that he thought of _any_ human as lower than himself-especially Kagome. Turning back to the couch to apologize for his outburst, Inuyasha discovered that the teen had ducked for cover behind his mother and Kagome was lowering herself into his recently vacated spot. Sitting down next to her, he told the boy, "I'm sorry, Yue. I shouldn't try to shoot the messenger."

Yue nodded and shakily took the other chair, then continued with his story. "A-anyway, he was really insistent and I finally gave in and took his note. I tried to give him the old one, but he didn't act like he really wanted it." The boy shrugged. "After that, he took off and I finished my delivery and came back here." Yue looked at Yash with a stricken expression. "I am so sorry, Inuyasha. I never meant for any of this to happen! The guy just seemed so sincere and I was stupid enough to believe him. Can you ever forgive me?"

He was very surprised when the person to answer him wasn't Inuyasha, but Kagome. "It's all right, Yue. There isn't anything to forgive," she said gently. "You had no way of knowing what that note said and this is in no way your fault." Yue didn't look completely convinced, but, as Inuyasha nodded in agreement to Kagome's words, he looked like he might be close to forgiving himself. "Now, can you tell us what the guy looked like? Maybe that will help us figure out why this happened."

"Well, let's see," Yue looked off for a moment, deep in thought, "he was taller than me, but shorter than Yash there. And he had short dark hair…I can't remember what color, just that it was dark-and-um-," Yue put his finger to his lips absently, his brow scrunching as he tried to remember details. "I think his eyes were… well they were either brown or blue." He turned apologetically to the couple on the couch. "I'm sorry, that's all that I can remember."

"It's okay," Kagome reassured him, "you've been really helpful." She glanced down at her watch and was a little surprised at how late it had gotten. "I need to get back to the shrine. Sango is probably frantic by now." She glanced at Yash as she rose from her seat.

"Yeah," he answered, getting up as well. "Thank you both," he said to Tsuyu and her son, "you've been a big help. I still don't know who did this," he shook his head in frustration, "but at least now Kagome knows that it wasn't me."

They all made their way to the front of the shop, the boys dropping back so that the women could exit the storeroom first. As they got to the door, Yue stopped Yash with a hand on his arm. Reaching into his pocket, the young man pulled out a small envelope and handed it to the demon. "I thought that you might want to have this back. I mean it is yours and I'm sure that Kagome would like to see it."

Inuyasha looked down and was a little surprised to see that Yue was handing him the original note. "Thank you," he said sincerely, "I'm sure that I can find a use for this."

For a moment he wondered why this mystery man wouldn't want to keep the note and later destroy the evidence, but he dismissed the thought as irrelevant. The important thing was that he had it back and Kagome now knew the truth about what had happened. Now he just needed to give her the note she should have received and they could put this whole mess behind them.

After saying his goodbyes to Tsuyu and Yue, Inuyasha caught up with Kagome outside of the shop. Together, they made their way in silence back toward the shrine, forgoing the train ride and just enjoying the night and each others' company. This time, the silence between them was companionable, though contemplative, instead of strained as it had been before. Neither spoke; each lost in their own thoughts, and Inuyasha was content to just let it continue.

"I'm sorry," Kagome said softly, breaking the silence. It was obvious that however content Inuyasha's thoughts were Kagome's were turbulent and uncertain. She stared at the sidewalk, twisting her hands together and unable to meet the half-demon's eyes. She was sure that he would think her shallow for believing him capable of such cruelty. "I'm sorry that I let myself think for even a moment that you would do something like that. I would understand if you didn't want to be with me anymore."

Her statement shocked Inuyasha into speechlessness. He didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't. He continued to walk beside her and tried to figure out what was going through her head. He only realized what a mistake not speaking was when, a moment later, he smelled the salt of her tears. _: Damn it, I made her cry **again**. This has to be a record. 'How many times can you make your girlfriend cry in one day'? Real smooth, idiot. I have to tell her that I don't feel that way; that I could never leave her over something so stupid, but how?: _The crinkling of paper as he reached out to stop her answered hisquestion.

"Kagome," Inuyasha started, pulling her over to a bus bench and sitting them down, "I don't think any less of you for feeling that way. Hell, if it were the other way around, I know I wouldn't be as calm about it as you are," he spoke ruefully. Placing his hand gently on her cheek, he forced her to meet his eyes. "I still want to be with you. I could never let something this stupid change how I feel about you. Please, stop crying," he begged as he wiped her tears away. "I want you to read this." Kagome looked down at the envelope he was handing to her.

"What is it?" she asked quizzically through tears that were starting to slow as she considered his words. It looked like the kind of envelope you would find on a flower arrangement. "Inuyasha, I don't think that I can handle another note today."

"Please, Kagome read this one. It's the one you should have gotten," he told her, dropping his hand and looking away in embarrassment. _: Well, I did want to be there when she read it, but this isn't how I wanted her to do it.:_

With a shaky sigh, Kagome broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the small square of paper. Her eyes welled up with happy tears as she read:

_If you'll walk this road with me,_

_My journey won't seem so long._

_And if you chance to stay with me_

_My heart will always be strong._

_The first steps are always the hardest,_

_Thank you for letting me take them with you._

_Yours forever,_

_Yash___

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "That is so sweet!" She pulled back and looked him in the eye. "This is definitely better than the other one. Thank you," she said softly, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Inuyasha couldn't keep the goofy grin from spreading across his face and Kagome's giggle was music to his ears. _This _was the reaction he had hoped for when he sent those flowers this morning. The only way it would have been better is if she had kissed him a little more to the left, but he could fix that. Pulling her to him, he kissed her full on the lips; gently at first, but growing in intensity as she responded to him. When they finally pulled apart, Kagome rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder with a contented sigh.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" he asked softly.

"There's nothing to forgive. Nothing that happened today was your fault." He felt the smile that crossed her face against his shoulder. "Thank you for caring enough to find out the truth."

He placed a gentle kiss to her temple and rested his cheek on top of her head. "I will always care," he whispered, tightening his embrace.

He was more than willing to sit on that bench as long as she wanted to, but it was getting late and their friends were probably worried about them. Reluctantly, he reminded her of this and, seeing her nod of understanding, they got up and resumed their walk, but not before Inuyasha tucked Kagome under his arm and pulled her close. He was pleasantly surprised when she slipped her arm around his waist and leaned into him. For the first time since he arrived at the shrine this evening, things were starting to look up.

* * *

Sango watched as the couple made their way down the shrine steps. She didn't like letting Kagome go with the demon, but what choice did she have? Kagome had been very insistent when she came down those stairs and Sango didn't have it in her to argue with her friend when she looked so sad and determined. Not only that, but Rin's words were starting to sink in and she was calming down enough to take her advice and start _thinking_, instead of just reacting.

After staring out at the empty shrine grounds for a while, Sango was calm enough to realize that she had been very hasty in thinking that her demon friend would do something like this. He was too attached to Kagome to ever do anything that would hurt her. Sango knew that as well as she knew her own name; she had just let her anger get the better of her and forgotten for a bit. She realized that she was probably not going to be his favorite person for a while because of it. _:What__ am I going to do about this? I just hope that he will forgive me for doubting him, at least eventually,: _she thought with a heavy sigh.

"So, Sango," the young woman jumped at the sound of Rin's voice. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she forgot that the girl was even there. "Sorry." Rin grinned sheepishly. "Tell me again what happened before I got here. Please?" She had already heard most of the story from the older girl before she had gone up to comfort her distraught friend, but she thought that there might be more that Sango hadn't said in her anger. Rin just felt like she needed to hear it all; then she could help them put it all behind them.

Sango rubbed her head as though fighting off a headache. She really didn't want to go through it all again, but she knew that Rin wouldn't leave it alone until her curiousity had been assuaged. Turning, she motioned for Rin to precede her back into the house, before following and closing the door behind them. Walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch, Sango drew a breath and recounted the events from before the other girl had arrived.

"Well, I came over this morning and was all set to help Kags take down the decorations from the other night. I mean, it _was_ kinda late when we all left that night and I guess after her picnic and our shopping trip yesterday, she hadn't had time to do it. And she knew that I really hadn't wanted to stay home without Miroku, so when she called and asked for help, I couldn't tell her no. So I came over here. Besides, I thought maybe she might want to talk about what had been happening between her and Yash, ya know?" Rin nodded. She could see that. After all, Kagome and Inuyasha had been working toward this for a while and Kagome probably had some issues that she needed to work out. Who better to rant at than your best friend? Especially a best friend that was privy to all your insecurities and doubts, and had been there in the aftermath of all your failed relationships; a best friend that could help lay past demons to rest so that you could focus all your attention on the current one holding full court in your life.

"Anyway, we had just come in from taking down the lights out in the yard and were arguing about whether to stay in or go out for lunch, when the doorbell rang. I stayed in the kitchen while Kags went to answer it and only came out when I heard her squeal," Sango shook her head and chuckled lightly. "You know what that means don't you? When she squeals like a giddy little girl and jumps around like an idiot?" Rin laughed along with the older girl. As serious as Kagome could be sometimes, there were other times when her friends questioned her age and her sanity-usually when she was acting just the way Sango described her.

"Yeah, well, I came in here and saw that she had this beautiful bouquet of flowers, some of them were her favorites even. You'd think that she'd just won the lottery the way she was going on. Well, it was pretty obvious to both of us who they were from."

"Inuyasha," Rin stated.

"Yeah", Sango nodded in agreement, "Inuyasha." She paused for a moment and sighed. "By now, Kags had at least stopped dancing around and that's when she noticed that there was a card. She was grinning like a loon until she opened that card. After she read it, it was like all the joy had been sucked right out of her. The card fell out of her hand and she sank onto the couch and started to cry like there was no tomorrow. I picked it up and read it; I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Hell, I know that Yash can be an insensitive jerk sometimes, but this was the lowest thing that I had even seen anyone do." Her anger came surging back and she had to remind herself that it wasn't Yash she should be angry at. Getting control of herself, she calmed down and summed up some of her earlier thoughts, "I guess that I never stopped to think that it wasn't in his nature to do something like this; especially if it concerns Kagome." She looked vacantly at the Christmas tree, lost in her thoughts and not really seeing it. At least, until her gaze fell on a little white dog.

"How could I think that the person who gave her an ornament as a watch dog because he couldn't watch over her himself, could ever be cruel enough to string her along and then drop her. I could see it from somebody like Hojo, sure, but not Yash." Sango shook herself, dispelling the somber mood and continued with her story. "Anyway, I couldn't seem to do anything to calm her down and when she ran up to her room and locked the door, I decided I needed re-enforcements, so I called you. The rest you know."

Rin looked at Sango thoughtfully before she asked, "Do you still have that note?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I want to see it. Call it morbid curiosity." Sango just shrugged and reached across the coffee table, grabbing a little white envelope that had gone unnoticed, and handing it to Rin. The girl opened it and pulled out the plain white card and read:

_These last few days were the biggest mistake of my life._

_We should end it now before either of us gets too attached._

_I'm sorry, babe, but I don't want to see you ever again._

_Inuyasha_

Rin went cold all over. She held in her hand an article that was meant to devastate, separate and eradicate any trust that Kagome ever had in Yash. The scary thing was it had almost worked. She was just glad that her friend had more faith in her uncle than whoever sent this realized. It was that faith that had probably saved their fledgling relationship.

Rin had no doubts that they would get to the bottom of this and make up. Now it was time for the three of them-that reminded her, she needed to get Shippo over there-to take matters into their own hands and set up something special for the couple. Call it a nudge in the right direction, just in case. "Hey, Sango," she said to the older girl. When she had her attention, Rin continued, "How about we set this place up special for those two?"

"What did you have in mind?" Sango asked, a little suspicious, but willing to help in whatever she had planned. Rin was notorious for her plots and plans, and while they usually worked okay, you had to be careful because she could go too far. Sango was still a little angry, but after talking to Rin and really thinking about the situation, her anger had been redirected toward the mysterious note writer, where it belonged. And since that person wasn't within throttling range, all that anger had turned into nervous energy. What better way to work it off then surprising her best friend?

"Let me get Shippo over here and I'll tell you," Rin answered mischievously as she headed for the phone.

* * *

An hour and a half later saw the three friends gazing with pride at their handiwork. The dinner table was set with a pretty white tablecloth and linen napkins, the arrangement Yash sent over sitting prominently in the center (no sense wasting perfectly good flowers). In the kitchen, a dinner of chicken and pasta waited for the couple; to be served hot when they were ready. Unsure of whether or not the two would want alcohol this evening, Sango had chilled a bottle of wine, with soda cooling in the fridge in case they wanted something tamer, along with the tea that was steeping on the stove.

All seemed to be in order and the only thing left to do was wait. Sango had to admit that this was a good idea. It was an excellent way to say that she was sorry for doubting Inuyasha and his intentions and it would give the two some much needed time alone together. It was just too bad that she would not be around to see the fruits of her labors.

"Well, guys," she said wistfully, "as much as I would like to be here when they get back, Miroku will be home soon and I really need to go make dinner for _him_. Would you please tell Yash that I'm sorry and I hope he takes this as my atonement?" Smiling gratefully when Rin nodded to her, Sango grabbed her coat and made her way to the door. "Oh!" she exclaimed as a truly devious thought occurred to her. "Rin, do you still have those special decorations we got the other day?"

"You mean the mistletoe?" Rin shook her head regretfully at Sango's energetic nod. "No, it's back at the house and I don't think there's time to go get it."

"Silly girl," Shippo said from behind her. "Did you forget that you are dating a kitsune? We can conjure anything." That said, he proceeded to pull out an ordinary oak leaf and, with a puff and a small plume of smoke, changed it into a sprig of mistletoe. "Viola! Missed-my-toe!"

With a grin and a giggle, Rin kissed Shippo's cheek, an action that made him blush, and took the greenery out of her boyfriend's hand. Turning to Sango she asked, "Where do you think we should hang it?"

"In the door way to the dining room. That way they have to stand under it." Seeing that Rin agreed with her, Sango turned and headed out the door. "Rin, call me later and let me know how it went, okay?" She paused long enough to see Rin nod and then she was gone.

After hanging the greenery, Rin and Shippo settled on the couch to wait for Kagome and Inuyasha. "I can't wait to see their faces when they see what we've done," Rin told Shippo.

"Yeah, this oughta be good. I just hope Dog Boy doesn't do anything stupid."

* * *

"You don't think they'll be too worried, do you?" Kagome asked Inuyasha as they approached the shrine steps. "I mean, we have been gone for a while and we didn't call and we were pretty mad when we-"

Her flow of words was halted by the gentle kiss Yash gave her. This was the third time she had started this particular babble streak, and while he didn't mind shutting her up this way, the subject was getting a little annoying. "I think it'll be fine," he said after releasing her.

They got about halfway up the steps before Kagome stopped. Turning to look at her, Yash could tell that she wanted to ask something, but she wasn't sure how to ask it. She was wringing her hands again and he was really getting tired of her doing that. "Come on, wen-uh Kagome, I know you want to say something. So, say it already," he snapped a little more harshly than he had intended.

She flinched at his harsh tone and he was quick to reach out and pull her back against him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap." She snuggled into him to show her forgiveness and he sighed in relief before asking a bit more gently, "Now, what did you want to ask me?"

"Are you still mad at Sango?" He drew back and just stared at her in confusion. Why would he be mad-Oh, yeah. "I understand if you are," Kagome continued, "but she was just trying to protect me and I don't know what I would do if two of the most important people in my life hated each other." Tears ran silently down her face as she said this and Inuyasha was again struck dumb. What had he ever done to deserve such a caring, compassionate spirit? He was slightly awed to think that she would be sad if her friends weren't happy, but that was just her way. Chuckling gently, he wiped Kagome's tears away with his thumb, cupping her cheek and forcing her to look at him.

"I don't hate Sango, Kagome," he told her. "Actually, I'm really glad that you have such a protective friend." He chuckled again at the startled expression on his girlfriend's face. "I would really wonder about your choice in friends if she _hadn't_ reacted that way, so don't worry about it." He smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll talk to Sango later and we'll get this all straightened out, okay?"

Kagome just stared at him for a minute before she asked, straight faced and serious, "Who are you and what did you do with Inuyasha?"

Okay, now he was really confused, "What _are_ you talking about, bitch? I am Inuyasha. See the ears?" He wiggled said appendages and was relieved when Kagome giggled at his antics.

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes bright with laughter, "but you were so serious and sounded so enlightened that I had to make sure that you were still you. And don't call me 'bitch'. You know how I feel about that!"

"I still don't understand why you get so upset about that," Inuyasha said as they continued to climb the steps. "I mean you're female, right? And you're dating a _dog_ demon, right?" She nodded in dawning comprehension. "So, I don't see the problem."

"The problem, Oh Mighty One, is that, one, you never explained it that way and, two, we've only been dating for three days and you've called me that for as long as I can remember." She pinned him with a hard stare. "Care to explain that one away?"

"Would you look at that," he said in feigned surprise, seeing his salvation in the form of the front door. "We're here and it looks like someone's waiting for us. How about we go in and tell them what happened?"

"How about you quit avoiding the question and tell me what I want to know?" It didn't look like he was getting out of this one nearly as easily as the time with the ears-wait that gave him an idea.

"How about I answer that one when I tell you about my ears?" Inuyasha looked at her expectantly, throwing in the puppy look for good measure. God, he hoped she went for it. He really didn't want to get into demon mating behavior tonight.

Kagome realized that she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him tonight; he never pulled that look unless he _really _didn't want to do something. So, with a resigned sigh, she agreed, "But don't think that I won't remember this, Buster. You _are_ going to tell me eventually."

With a nod and a wink, Inuyasha reached out and opened the door. He was a little surprised that it wasn't locked, but when he saw the two teens sitting on the couch, he understood why. There sat Rin with her arms crossed and a stern expression on her face. Shippo sat next to her in a similar pose that was marred only by the grin that he kept trying to suppress. They were trying to come across as the mature ones and Inuyasha figured that it would be worth the laugh to play along.

"Just where have you two been?" Rin scolded. "We were worried sick and now your dinner will be cold. And after all the trouble we went through to make sure that it would be perfect!"

Yash hung his head contritely. "We're really sorry, Rin. We didn't mean to make you worry." He lifted his head just enough to catch Kagome's confused eye and wink. "Play along," he whispered so that only she heard, although he was pretty sure that Shippo caught his comment. Speaking loud enough for Rin to hear, he asked in a mournful voice, "What can we ever do to make it up to you, Mom?"

"Well, you could start by telling us what happened at Tsuyu's," Rin told him, choosing to ignore the 'Mom'. She knew that he was messing with her, but she wasn't about to let him get away without some answers, so she kept up the stern act.

He exchanged a look with Kagome. She didn't really look like she wanted to go through all of that again tonight. Turning back to the two on the couch, he said, "I really don't want to get into that again tonight, Rin. How about I tell you and Sess in the morning? I'm sure that he would like to know about this, too. That way I only have to tell it once. You can ever have Sango and Shippo come over and hear all about it. Is that fair?"

Rin didn't look like she was satisfied with that answer, but in the end she agreed to wait. "Fine, then you have to go in the kitchen and see what we did for you. We didn't go to all of this trouble just to be blown off with 'I'll tell you later. Goodbye'."

Getting up and grabbing the unresisting two by the hands, Rin dragged them into the dining room with Shippo toddling behind her, stopping just under the door and ducking out of the way. She didn't want to be in the line of fire.

All that the older couple could do was stand there and stare in disbelief. Kagome's eyes brimmed up with tears as she surveyed the room before her. The table was set with the fine dinnerware and a white table cloth. They had even managed to find her mother's linen napkins. The flower arrangement that had caused so much trouble had pride of place as the table's centerpiece. Rin and Shippo had done all of this for them. They truly were good friends.

"Sango helped, too," Rin told her quietly. "She made your dinner. She would have stayed, but she needed to get back to Miroku." Kagome nodded in understanding. Those two didn't get to spend nearly enough time together. Rin turned to Inuyasha before she said, "Sango wanted me to tell you that she was sorry for doubting you, Yash. She wanted this to be her apology and she hoped that you could eventually forgive her."

Inuyasha was a little startled until he thought about that for a minute. Sango had been really angry when they left. Hell, who was he kidding, he'd been enraged himself. But, if he looked at things from her point of view, he could see why she would be mad. Like he told Kagome earlier, he would wonder about her value as a friend if she hadn't been protective of Kagome's feelings. "I'll call her tomorrow and straighten it all out," was his response to Rin.

"Good," she said. "Now, are you just going to stand there or are you going to kiss your girlfriend? 'Cause I don't think that Shippo's magic is going to last much longer." At the confused looks she received, Rin pointed to the little green sprig that the two were standing under. "What? You didn't see the missed-my-toe when you came in?"

Inuyasha chuckled at the deviousness of his niece and their friends. A romantic dinner, wine, if he knew Sango and an 'innocently' placed sprig of mistletoe; all devices to make sure that he and Kagome made up by the end of the evening. Well, he and Kags had already made up, but he couldn't see wasting their good intentions. So, with a flourish, he grabbed Kagome, dipped her over his arm and planted a deep, wet kiss on her rather stunned lips. Pulling away enough to look at her, Yash was pleased to see laughter dancing in her eyes just before she leaned up and continued where he had left off.

Rin leaned over to Shippo and whispered, "Let's leave the lovebirds to their evening. I don't think they need _us _anymore."

Shippo nodded his agreement, whispering, "I think they can heat things up on their own," as they headed for the door. Just before she walked out though, Rin said, "I'll see you in the morning, Uncle Yash."

The last thing she saw before the door closed was Yash's waving distractedly at her from behind Kagome's back. He had finally let her straighten up and had both hands occupied with holding her to him, so it was a really small wave. Standing on the porch after closing the door, Rin and Shippo grinned at each other and began their trek down the steps, hand in hand. "Well, my fine foxy friend," Rin said to the kitsune, satisfaction dripping from her tone, "our work here is done." And with that, they left the lovebirds to their evening.

* * *

Across town, in a modestly appointed apartment, a lone figure sat hunched before a computer screen. Every now and then, he would look up at something that hung on the wall before him and compare it to what was on his screen. Soon-soon he would be able to show the finished product to his employer and he could wash his hands of them and their plans to ruin more innocent lives. Soon, he could rid himself of that which disgusted him and resume the life that the bitch had ripped away when she left him.

Soon, he would be able to free himself of the filth that he had been forced to associate with and pick up the shattered remains of his life. He didn't want to think about the deeds that bitch had forced him to enact, but that would end soon. He would finally have everything that he needed to bring her down and maybe this time he could stop what was coming before it got out of hand. Maybe this could be his atonement. Soon, he would be free.

Yes, indeed; soon, but not soon enough.

* * *

A/N: Well, how was that? Let me know. Oh, that last little bit is the set up for the next little evilness to come, so don't freak out on me. You'll get to see what it's all about next chapter, I promise.

Until we meet again,

Patch


	8. Chapter 8

**

* * *

Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available, but I have plans to stalk him and make him my willing sex slave.

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

Oh, yeah. Tsuyu and Yue are mine. They aren't much, but I did come up with them, so don't steal them. But I think that you may have seen the last of them last chapter. Haven't really decided yet.

A/N: I'm going to thank the few people who reviewed the last chapter. I guess it wasn't as good as the others, but I hope to make it up to you. Well, anyway, here's the shout outs:

**HellKeeper**: Be careful were you point that thing-don't shoot your eye out. Happy hunting!

**InuyashaForEver**: Nope, not Kouga-not Hojo either. Keep reading and you will find the answers you seek.

**ArtemisMoon**: Wow. Not only are you another one of my favorite authors (go read her stories-they're really good), but you reviewed every chapter. I really appreciate the feedback and the fact that you liked the little details that I tried to include. Wrong tense, huh? I'll have to go find that and fix it. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to do that and I hope that you continue to enjoy this story.

You all have my deepest apologies for the long wait on this chapter. The only thing that I can do is plead temporary insanity do to the amount of work piled on me by my court reporting teachers; that and the fact that I lost my job because the stupid store I worked at closed and I've been trying to find a new one. I hope that the fluffiness that I have included in this chapter makes up for it.

A/N 5/1/04 – I've made some changes to this chapter. That scene with our favorite love birds has been cleaned up and it's a little citrusier than it was before. I'm not so sure that I would call it a lime, so we can just call it a tangerine.

Now, on to what you came here for…

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 8

It's amazing what some will do for family. They will defend against all allegations, true or false; they will stand fast at the side of a relative in times of strife or stress, joy or sadness, and at any other time of need or support. They will insure that nothing unfortunate happens to make that particular relations life difficult – and they will do this with a vengeance and will that can leave you stunned and breathless.

Of course, these are the good things that some will do for family. There are some who will do _anything_ to insure that their loved ones are taken care of and kept safe; _anything_, legal or otherwise. They will lie and cheat, swindle and steal, even kill for that one beloved relation. They would sell their very soul to the Devil himself and they will go to their grave defending that person's actions; never seeing that they are being manipulated, whether it be by the relation or some one holding that person's leash. And, sadly, in the end, they will not care that _they_ are the ones who will ultimately fall and take the blame, not the relation they stuck their neck out for and not the one on the other end of the string; and all because they will have turned a blind eye to the reasons for their relation's predicament.

Love and family are two of the strongest bonds known to Humanity. They are the reason we rise in the mornings and the oil that lubes the machine we call life. These bonds are also what drive us to protect and shelter those which, we feel, are weaker and unable to care for themselves. They are the very things that we as humans have laid down our lives for and they are the concepts for which we will continue to fight and die. The same could be said, at least to some extent, of demon kind.

While it may not be love that binds family members together, it is definitely a strong sense of loyalty, of duty, to keep the clan strong. And loyalty can outweigh love and devotion. As many a monarch has discovered to their detriment, these three do not go hand in hand. Loyalty is an intrinsic part of what enabled the remaining demon clans to survive the onslaught of Humanity's proliferation; that and the duty of the older sibling to insure the continuation of the line-even if that means suffering for a sibling's screw-up. Loyalty and duty, perhaps, are not as sentimental as the humans' notions of love and devotion to family, but they are concepts that are just as strong, and maybe, at some levels, even more binding.

* * *

In a moderately furnished apartment, in a middle-class part of town, a young man sat and contemplated the duty that bound him to his current project as he placed the final touches on the work before him, a project he had slaved over all night long. It was because of that very demon loyalty that he was in this mess. Aiding and abetting a human in her attempt to humiliate one of the strongest members of the dog demon clan-and all because this bitch happened to know his brother's dirty little secret. _: Were he not my brother and had I not pledged to our father that no harm would come to him-I would have slain him long ago! All of **this** because he targeted the wrong woman-damn you, Manten! How could you have been so stupid?!: _

The sound of a discrete knock on his door jarred the young man from his thoughts. With a sigh and a jerk of his head to settle his long braid behind him, Hiten Chu rose and crossed the short expanse of his living room. Biting back the growl that worked its way up his throat at the scent on the other side, the demon opened his door to reveal a human woman. For a brief moment, he simply stared at her, taking in her flawless features and almost perfect figure.

He supposed that in another time, under different circumstances, he might have found this woman extremely attractive. Perhaps he would have even pursued her. Even if she was human, he knew that she had power, albeit the kind of power only blood-money can buy, but that was required to survive in the underbelly of society where he and his kind did their business, and that was enough to attract just about any demon to her. As it was, however, the very smell of her made him want to kill something – most preferably her. Stepping aside, he gestured for the woman to enter and had to fight back the urge to fry her with the harnessed electricity he was capable of calling at a moment's notice.

He watched as she crossed the floor and sat, uninvited, on his couch. She looked at him expectantly as she made herself comfortable. She was patient, but Hiten knew that her patience would not last long. Closing the door, the demon turned and waved his hand at the manila folder that sat on the coffee table in front of her. Leaning forward, the woman pulled it to her and opened it, examining the contents closely, leisurely. She was more than willing to let him squirm as he awaited her verdict. And squirm he did; waiting in anxious silence to hear her thoughts, for she held his brother's life in her hands and if Hiten's efforts displeased her, Manten was a dead man.

Oh, yes. This woman held within her the ability to see that his dear brother never again saw the light of day. With just a few words to the right people, she could have him thrown into the humans' jail for the rest of his unnaturally long life, or slain outright by the demons' council. For neither society was willing to harbor a mass murderer in their midst; especially one with a taste for beautiful, virginal, young women.

"Well," the cultured sounds of the woman's voice jarred him from the thoughts he had lost himself to once again, "I see that you have once again managed to live up to my expectations. Your brother should be grateful."

Hiten bristled silently, but did not rise to her baiting. He knew that one wrong word, one mistake would cost him and his brother dearly. By now, she had enough on him to ensure that he would be put away for a very long time, and that just with the projects he undertook for her. He had no doubts that she knew of everything he had ever been involved in.

"Very good," the woman said as she rose and turned toward the door. "I may need you again soon. Do try and behave yourself until then."

He was silent as he watched her walk out the door. He waited until he could no longer catch that disgusting scent on the wind before finally giving in to his anger and disgust. With a roar, he drove his fist through the coffee table, splintering it and sending shards of glass and wood skittering across the apartment. "No more," he growled; his voice rough and filled with hate. "No more. I will not be your lap dog any longer. This is the last time you use me, Kikyo. I swear on the grave of my father that your life will soon be over!"

* * *

Kikyo could not contain the satisfied smirk that stretched her lips as she left the apartment building and made her way down the sidewalk toward her next meeting. Finding and exploiting those two brothers had been a stroke of genius. Granted, they were bad news before she met them, having already made a name for themselves as the nefarious "Thunder Brothers", but to learn that the younger was the very serial killer that had the authorities chasing their collective tails had made her very happy-especially when she learned about his brother and the wonderful 'talent' at his disposal.

It had been almost child's play to set Manten up so that he targeted her. Granted, she was a little older than his usual mark, but she was beautiful and, at least at that time, she was a virgin. In other words, a perfectly tempting tidbit that was too good to pass up. All she had had to do then was make herself available and then be ready when he took the bait. It had worked like a dream. Catching his brother had been the icing on the proverbial cake. Now she held Manten ransom to his brother, and Hiten put his cracking skills to use for her.

The smile she wore took on a hint of triumph when she thought about the contents of the envelope she currently held in her perfectly manicured hand. It was a copy of the documents she would be using in her next attempt to separate her puppy from his current romp and she was certain that her partner was going to absolutely love what she had planned.

She had reached her destination and, upon entering the establishment, gave her name to the hostess. With a polite "Right this way, miss. Your companion is already here" from the young woman, Kikyo was led to a secluded table near the back of the restaurant. After dismissing the hostess with a curt nod, Kikyo seated herself and regarded the man across from her with a predatory smile. Without a word, she placed the envelope on the table and slid it across to her partner and sat impatiently as he rifled through the contents.

"Where did you get this? I thought that the security system was uncrackable," Hojo's eyebrow raised in surprise. The security protocols on the computer system at White Dog Investments was said to rival that of the federal government, especially the safeguards around anything concerning the late Mr. Shiro. That Kikyo was able to obtain these documents was astounding.

"I have a wonderful acquaintance that was there when the system was installed. In fact, he helped to write some of the programming," Kikyo informed him. "These will arrive in the girl's in-box in the next day or so and they are virtually untraceable. I think that she will enjoy them, don't you?"

"Yes," Hojo agreed with malicious chuckle, "I'm sure that she will get a real kick out of them." He continued to flip through the documents, stopping when he came to some near the end. "What are these?"

Kikyo leaned over as he tilted them so she could see what had caught his attention. She smirked and chuckled maliciously before answering him. "Those, my dear, dear Hojo, are what are going to make that bitch come running back to you."

* * *

Warm.

Safe.

Totally and completely content.

That was how she felt as she slowly opened her eyes and greeted the new day. Her mind was slow to catch up, so it didn't occur to her to wonder at the feeling of security that swept over her. Kagome was only just starting to truly wake up and she rolled over to check the clock at her bedside, curious as to why it hadn't awakened her with its usual mind piercing shrill, even though it was obvious that the sun was just starting to come up and peek through her window. At least, she tried to roll over. The arm draped over her waist tightened as she moved and wouldn't let her do more than squirm a little. The disgruntled growl that came from behind her was more of a wakeup call than that damn alarm ever could be and all vestiges of sleep went speeding out the window as she realized what, or rather who, was holding her .

With wide eyes, Kagome followed that arm; first down to the delicately clawed hand that rested lightly on her bare stomach, and then up, along the broad shoulder, to the peacefully reposed face of her boyfriend. :_ Damn it, I thought I told him to sleep on the couch! What the Hell is he doing up **here**, in **my bed**?! Not that I mind waking up to this, but, jeez, can't he ever do what I ask him to?: _With an exasperated sigh, Kagome tried once again to extract herself from the half demon's embrace, but that only compelled him to tighten his grip on her again, pulling her tightly into his firm chest.

"Would you please quit squirming? Some of us are trying to sleep here," Inuyasha's voice from behind her was soft and a little gruff, as if he had just awoken himself and Kagome couldn't suppress the thought that he sounded very sexy that way. But she still wanted to know why he was up there and why he had felt the need to join her, but before she could chastise him for their position, she felt him start to gently nuzzle her behind the ear. Nuzzling that turned to whisper soft kisses from her ear, along her neck and across her shoulder before returning along the same path back to her ear. Kagome couldn't suppress the shiver that went through her when she felt the tip of his tongue lightly trace its outer shell. And the patterns his claws were tracing on her bare midriff from where her top had ridden up were making it very hard for her to keep the reason she was annoyed at him as a coherent thought. But when she felt his hand start to creep up under her shirt, her mind snapped into focus and she caught his wrist in her hand, effectively halting his hand's progress. He retracted his hand and rested it back on her stomach just above her panty line, his claws tracing delicate patterns that caused a tightening between her thighs.

Kagome shivered as she felt him continue his assault on her neck and she unconsciously tilted her head to allow him better access. She felt it as his lips curled up in a self satisfied smirk and she couldn't contain the gasp that was pulled from her as his fangs trailed across the smooth flesh of her neck or the soft groan caused by his subsonic growling. Inuyasha was getting reactions from her that Hojo could never have dreamed of and Kagome couldn't remember a time when she had felt any sensation _down there_ without her partner touching at least close to that part of her – and all he was using were his lips on her neck and his claws on her stomach in feather light caresses.

Speaking of those lips, Kagome was a little surprised when she felt them softly caress her own. She hadn't realized that he had managed to turn her onto her back at some point, so lost had she been in the sensations he was creating. Suddenly overwhelmed with the need for more contact, she reached up and hooked her hand behind his head, pushing his mouth closer to hers and deepening their contact. It made the position they were in slightly awkward, but neither was complaining. In fact, it wasn't until he shifted so that he was lying over her and she felt the too firm evidence of his arousal against her thigh that Kagome really thought about what they were doing and remembered why she had been annoyed at him. By then he had started to lightly trail one hand up and down her side while the other moved stealthily up the inside of her thigh. That, combined with feelings he was creating while nipping gently at her pulse, was almost enough to make Kagome forget again; but when she felt the hand on her thigh creep higher and one finger graze that spot she hadn't let any man touch, she strengthened her resolve. Pushing at his shoulder with one hand, she reached between them and grabbed his wrist, halting his progress and making him pause in his ministrations. Inuyasha growled his displeasure at being stopped, but he didn't push it and just rested that hand on her thigh.

"Inuyasha," she murmured as he once again concentrated his attentions on the point where her neck met her shoulder, "we have to stop." _: No matter how good this feels, and it feels **really **good, I'm not ready for that. Hell, we've only really been together for, what, four days. Hojo and I didn't get this far for almost a year! Hell, I **never** let him even get close to touching me where Yash's hand is going. This is just too much, too fast. I mean I know that we've had feelings for each other for a long time, but this is too fast. I'm really not ready. : _She could tell by his disapproving growl that he was not in the least bit interested in stopping what he had started, but she had to get him to see it her way, no matter how aroused he was making her. "Please, Yash, you've gotta stop. I'm really not ready for this." She pushed a little harder at his shoulder, forcing him to look at her.

She felt his sigh as he looked up and met her eyes. Kagome was a little startled to see that the beautiful gold she was used to seeing was shot through with a vibrant red, a sure sign that his demon blood was getting the better of him and that frightened her just a little. All the more reason to get him to stop; Kagome didn't want him to do something that they might both come to regret. She watched as he seemed to _really _look at her and the red slowly receded from his gaze. The look in his eyes was one of almost shock Kagome decided as they continued to stare at each other.

"Ka – Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was thick with confusion and uncertainty as he took in their position. "What – what happened?"

This is what she had feared, that his demon side had taken enough control that he wasn't completely aware of what he was doing. She had seen it before, when they were younger and he was fighting with Kouga. It had been brief and he _had_ regained control of himself, but later he couldn't remember what he had been doing during that time. It looked like that was happening again.

"What do you remember?" Kagome asked softly. Neither had moved from their rather compromising position, but Kagome didn't mind. In fact, she kinda liked the feel of his weight on her. It just felt comfortable and, well, _right_.

"I – I remember waking up because you were squirming around." Shifting a little, he freed his hand from her grasp and ran it through his hair, his face heating with a blush when he realized where that hand had just been. "And I remember kissing you and rubbing your belly…but – but that's all I remember. What did I do?" Kagome could hear the distress in his voice and she was a little surprised that he couldn't remember any more.

"It's okay, sweetie," she reassured him, leaning up and kissing the tip of his nose. "It wasn't anything more than a slightly heavier make-out session than we've had so far. I got you to stop before it went any farther." She sighed as the tension left his face and he relaxed on top of her, but then she tensed as she remembered what had started all of this. "You know, we wouldn't be in this position if you had stayed on the couch like you were supposed to."

"Hey," he said indignantly, "you can't blame that one on me!"

"Oh, really," she said her tone dripping with contempt. "Then would you care to explain why I went to bed last night with you on the couch and woke up this morning with a horny half demon in my **bed!**"

Inuyasha rolled off of his girlfriend, his face a mask of hurt. She thought that he had planned this! It was obvious from her tone and the disbelieving look on her face. He allowed the hurt to dominate for about a second before he felt it turn to anger – and then he let her have it. "Fine! Be that way! Believe what you want, but the next time you start screaming and yelling in your sleep, I'll be sure to stay where you put me!"

Shock settled over her features as she watched her demon get up and stalk out of the bedroom. _: What the Hell does he mean 'screaming and yelling in my sleep'? Did I have a nightmare and he came to comfort me? : _

It was then that her mind supplied her with the answers she was seeking as memories of her dreams from that night came surging up. She vaguely remembered waking up screaming, and Inuyasha bursting in to make sure that she was okay. She also remembered crying uncontrollably and clinging to him when he sat down on her bed and tried to soothe her. _: Oh, my God! I asked him to stay in here. Told him that I didn't want to be alone…and he agreed to stay. : _

In a horrified moment of clarity, Kagome realized her mistake and was up in an instant, dashing out her bedroom door hot on the heels of an angry dog demon.

* * *

Inuyasha was in a snit. Anger at Kagome and shame at his own actions warred for dominance in his mind. What the Hell had he been thinking, coming on to her like that and in her bed no less! He really was a pervert. And to make matters worse, he couldn't even remember what he had done to her; and then to have her just about accuse him of planning the whole thing. Well, it was almost enough to make him storm out the door and damn the consequences. He had just been trying to comfort her for God's sakes, not seduce her!

At least, that was what he had been thinking when he started to kiss her this morning. But then something had happened and just the taste of her had been enough to try his control…and the demon in him slipped his leash. Not enough that he was completely unaware (he could still remember sensations, just not the actions that went with them), but enough to make him a passenger in his own body. There was no telling what would have happened if the scent of Kagome's discomfort hadn't invaded and snapped him out of it – and that frightened him more than he was willing to admit, even to himself.

Reaching the living room, he sat down on the couch and allowed all of his conflicted emotions to drain away. It wasn't like he could really blame Kagome for being angry; after all, she probably didn't remember anything about her dream and what happened after he went in her room. She'd really been out of it when she asked him to stay, but he couldn't just leave her, especially not after seeing that broken look on her face, and this morning she had been a little – well – _distracted_.

A sound on the stairway made him look up in time to see an upset Kagome make her way down the steps and across the room to stand in front of him. For a moment all they could do was look at each other. Then Inuyasha was knocked backwards as Kagome flung herself at him and clung to him. He wasn't sure what had made her act this way, but he could guess that she had most likely remembered what happened last night. His suspicions were confirmed when her muffled voice sounded from his chest.

"I'm sorry that I got angry at you, Inuyasha. I was just so startled and half asleep and then what you were doing and seeing your eyes change like that…" Inuyasha cut her off when he pushed her away enough to kiss her gently.

"Its okay, Kagome," was all that he said before she dissolved into his arms, sobbing. This confused him. Why was she crying? He had said it was all right, that he forgave her. "Hey," he whispered, holding her to him and rocking a little, "why the tears? I'm not mad at you. I figured you would remember as soon as you woke up completely."

"It-it's not that," Kagome sniffed, her tears slowing as she regained her composure. "It's just…well, you see…I…um…Oh, God, you're gonna think I'm a real idiot." Kagome buried her head in Inuyasha's chest in an obvious attempt to keep from looking him in the eye. Inuyasha thwarted her attempt by grabbing her chin and moving her head up until he could see her face.

"You know I would never think that, Kagome," he said searching her face for some clue to her distress. "You don't have to worry about telling me what's wrong; especially if it bothers you this much."

"It's just," she looked down and started to pick at his shirt, "I remembered my dream and it was really upsetting."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't really remember a lot of it. Just that you, Sango and Miroku, and Shippo were in it and that you…you…" she trailed off as her eyes filled up with tears again. Inuyasha gently wiped them away and gave her an encouraging smile. Evidently it made her feel a little better, because she continued, whispering, "You died" before breaking down into sobs again.

To say that he was startled would be an understatement. Shocked and completely floored would have probably been better descriptions. Would his death really affect her this much? It certainly put the sobbing mess that was his girlfriend last night and this morning into a better perspective, not to mention explaining why she had acted the way she did last night. So, with that in mind, he tightened his hold on her and began the task of comforting her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kagome, so you can calm down. See, I'm right here, alive and breathing. I won't leave you, ever. Please stop crying," his voice took on a pleading tone when it didn't appear that she was going to stop any time soon. He continued to murmur comforts in her ear for a while, until she finally seemed to have cried herself out. Then he just sat and held her and she seemed content to stay in his arms for the rest of the day.

After a while, though, it came to the time when Inuyasha needed to leave and let his family know that things were all right and that he and Kagome were going to be okay. As reluctant as he was to leave her in this condition, he knew that if he didn't make an appearance soon Rin would be breaking down her door and demanding an explanation. It did make him feel a little better when she told him that she had a few things to take care of today and he would just be bored if he stayed.

"I meant what I said, Kagome," Inuyasha told her as they stood at her door just before he left. "I'm not going anywhere and you don't need to be afraid that I'll leave you."

"I know. I told you it was just a stupid dream and I'm sorry if I upset you." Kagome grinned sheepishly at him. "Just forget about it. I swear that's the last time I watch anime just before bed," she joked. He chuckled, then leaned down and kissed her goodbye. She watched from the door until he disappeared down the shrine steps, then turned and went up to her room to check her e-mail.

* * *

"I've told you what happened! What more do you want from me!" shouted an angry voice at the Shiro residence late Tuesday morning. A voice that was loud enough to shake the foundations and cause anyone with demon hearing to cringe and cover their abused ears – which at least two members of the group now seated in the kitchen did with almost identical winces of pain. The third demonic member of said group didn't – mainly because he was the one doing the shouting and Rin had already left to get dressed after having her curiosity satisfied.

"Damn, Yash, quit with the decibels," this from Shippo, who was still shaking his head to clear the ringing. He had stopped by earlier that morning to hear the rest of the story from last night and to pick Rin up to finish their Christmas shopping. She insisted that she had missed somebody somewhere and she was determined to make sure she got something for everyone – right down to the lady that came out three times a week to make sure the house stayed clean.

"Indeed, brother. Please spare us from deafness," Sesshomaru said, eying his sibling thoughtfully. "The way that you deny anything happening between you and the girl makes me believe otherwise."

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" Yash shot back. "I already told you that nothing happened!" He hadn't mentioned waking up in her bed or what took place _in_ said bed – that was just none of their business. He also hadn't mentioned the mark on Kagome's neck that he had noticed just before he left her. A mark that had made his blood run cold when he realized what it meant and what he had done.

"Then why were you sneaking in this morning after having been gone all night? And why do you smell of the girl?" Sess questioned archly. "How do you explain that?"

"Hel_lo_," Yash's exasperation was very plain in his voice, "she _is_ my girlfriend and I was with her last night and this morning. Why wouldn't her scent be on me?"

"Not to mention that you have chosen her as your mate and have already laid your claim. I can smell it," Sesshomaru almost smiled at his brother's sputtering. Deciding to save himself the anguish of the younger demon's lame excuses, he continued, "Calm yourself, Inuyasha. I approve. She will make an excellent addition to the clan, but you must have care in how quickly you do this. I am surprised that she has not commented on how fast you are going." Something in the way that Inuyasha would not meet his gaze made the older dog demon very suspicious. "You have told her what you're doing, have you not?" At the younger man's continued silence, Sesshomaru growled warningly. "Inuyasha, if you do not tell her what you are doing, then I will. And I will be sure to tell her exactly what she needs to do to reject the choice!"

That got a reaction from the silent half breed, but it wasn't quite the reaction his brother expected. "Damn it, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha growled, "I didn't even know that I was claiming her!"

Sesshomaru drew in a hissing breath and narrowed his eyes at his sibling. Coming to a decision, he turned to Shippo, "This is a family matter, fox. I would ask that you take yourself elsewhere – and take Rin with you. This is not something she needs to be involved in."

While they waited for Shippo and Rin to leave, Sesshomaru paced pensively in front of his brother; the younger Shiro was sitting in miserable silence in a chair at the kitchen table and waiting for the ax to fall. And he knew that it would. Choosing and claiming a mate was a very important thing to most demons and to claim ignorance of the act was not a thing to be taken lightly.

The silence stretched between them and was only broken by the sounds of Rin and Shippo getting ready and finally leaving the house. At that point Sesshomaru stopped his pacing and took the seat across from Inuyasha. Pinning his brother to the seat with the heat of his angry stare, he growled, "You will tell this Sesshomaru exactly what happened between you and that girl and you will do it **now!**"

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for now. Let me know what you thought.

Until we meet again,

Patch


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available, but if he were I would dress him in a red Speedo and make him serve me cold beverages while I lounge by the pool.

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

Oh, yeah. Tsuyu and Yue are mine. They aren't much, but I did come up with them, so don't steal them.

A/N: Smarty Jones just won the Kentucky Derby!! Yaaaaay! Sorry about that I just got a little excited. Hmmm, that gives me an idea…

Anyway, I'm sure you're all glad to see that I've finally updated and I won't bore you with details, but you can blame Real Life for the delay. Thanks to everyone who left me a review, I really appreciate it. I would thank you individually, but I'm lazy and I'm sure you guys just want to get to the story. So, without further ado… On with the show!

Oh, I made some changes to the last chapter that ya'll might want to check out. It's a little more citrus scented and Inuyasha's distress makes a little more sense now. And, um, you're welcome. Keep reading and you'll see what for.

9/5/04- I've made changes to all of the chapters and reloaded them. Check them out if you want - or don't - whatever floats your boat. The new chapter will be out...eventually.

_Previously-_

_The silence stretched between them and was only broken by the sounds of Rin and Shippo getting ready and finally leaving the house. At that point Sesshomaru stopped his pacing and took the seat across from Inuyasha. Pinning his brother to the seat with the heat of his angry stare, he growled, "You will tell this Sesshomaru exactly what happened between you and that girl and you will do it **now!**"_

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 9

"Uh… Um… I,uh… Well, you see… Uh…," Inuyasha stammered, laying his ears back and leaning as far away from Sesshomaru as the chair would allow. For a moment, all he could do was stare helplessly at his elder brother. What could he do? How could he tell Sesshomaru, the closest thing he'd had to an authority figure since his father died, that he couldn't really remember what he had done this morning, and do it in such a way that he didn't get his hide shredded. It was a knotty problem and one that Inuyasha needed to figure out before Sess' patience ran out. Yash could already tell that his fish imitation wasn't winning him any points, but he'd be damned if he knew how to start this conversation and still get away with his hide intact.

He lowered his head, shaking it in despair, completely unable to meet his brother's unwavering gaze. It was a submissive gesture and they both knew it, but it was the only way that Inuyasha knew to convey his guilt… and his shame. He had lost control and now he couldn't remember a damn thing about what he had been doing. He could have really hurt Kagome this morning and, despite her assurances that nothing really happened, the possibility – the "might have" – scared him shitless.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder and his brother's voice in his ear. Inuyasha had been so caught up in beating himself up that he hadn't even noticed when Sesshomaru moved. "You don't remember do you?" Sess asked gently.

Inuyasha just shook his head again, shocked at the older demon's tone. It was unusual for Sesshomaru to show any kind of compassion, but it seemed that he wasn't unsympathetic to his brother's plight. "It will be all right, Inuyasha. I had hoped that this would not happen so soon, but," he sighed resignedly, "it has and we must deal with it. It was a possibility that our father had planned for and he made sure that I would be prepared should this time come."

"You know what's going on, don't you?!" Inuyasha demanded accusingly, jerking his head up and narrowing his eyes at his brother. Sesshomaru's silent gaze only confirmed the young man's words and that just made him angrier. "Damn you, Sesshomaru, don't you think that maybe I should have been told that something like this might happen!" _: Whatever **this **is. I'm still not sure what's going on. : _"How could you _do _something like this? Is it your idea of some sick joke? I could have really hurt her this morning! Doesn't that bother you at all?! Don't you even _care?!_" He glared angrily at his brother, his thoughts spinning. Finally he folded his arms and snarled, "Well, you sadistic bastard, are you going to tell me what's going on or do I have to beat it out of you?"

The corner of Sesshomaru's mouth twitched slightly before he could stop it. They both knew that when it came to anything like hand-to-hand, the brothers were pretty evenly matched and that Inuyasha's last sally was an empty threat at best, no matter how much the half-demon thought otherwise. Sess calmly returned to his seat across the table from his fuming sibling and once again leveled his cool stare at the man across from him. The older Shiro waited patiently for Inuyasha's snarls to subside before replying, "If you would calm down and answer my questions, I would be better able to explain your situation to you."

"Why should I tell you anything? You seem to have enough information to torment me, so what could I possibly tell you that you don't already know?!" Inuyasha's embarrassment at having to admit his lapse wasn't helping his temper any and the more Sesshomaru insisted that Inuyasha tell him what happened, the more belligerent the younger man became. "I really don't see how it's any of your business, anyway," Inuyasha said hotly fixing his glare on the wall behind his brother. "You should just tell me what I need to know to fix this and make sure that it never happens again."

Finally losing his patience at the bull headedness of his younger sibling, Sesshomaru snapped, slamming his fist into the table and cracking it down the middle. "I need to know what happened," he snarled, "so that I can be sure that what I suspect is true. In order to help you, I must know what set you off in the first place. This isn't like that ridiculous feud you had with that wolf demon when you were younger, although I do believe the two instances are related." Sesshomaru closed his eyes and took a deep breathe to settle his temper before he did something he might regret – like reaching over and strangling the man across from him. Or, better yet, taking him over his knee and spanking the crap out of him like he did when Inuyasha was a pup. It would be counter-productive, but, **damn**, would it ever feel good!

The soft whimper from across the table caused Sesshomaru to open his eyes and really _look _at Inuyasha. Sess had always had trouble figuring his brother out and he had always suspected that it had a lot to do with the human blood that flowed through Inuyasha's veins. It made the pup _feel_ things with a greater intensity than most demons ever could.

Sesshomaru did not share the opinion of some of his compatriots; that humans were beneath demons and should be oppressed at every opportunity. Demons were not as superior as they believed themselves to be. Rin, and ironically Inuyasha, had taught him that. That girl could charm the most stalwart of demons and do it all while reading them the riot act. The half breed could hold his own in a demon fight and he was stronger than a lot of the full bloods that Sesshomaru knew, but his humanity tended to be too weak to counter the effects of his demon blood and instincts, especially when those instincts demanded actions that ran counter to Inuyasha's humanity. This is what Sesshomaru suspected had happened this morning. That Inuyasha's demon blood had been able to overcome the tenuous hold he had on it long enough to start the courtship ritual that his instincts demanded. As far as the half breed's instincts were concerned, Kagome was his chosen mate and they demanded that he begin courting her. They were both of the right age and she was fertile and capable of whelping pups. Not to mention that the half breed had never really pursued any other female.

Sesshomaru allowed the silence to stretch between them as he considered how to explain this to Inuyasha. It had been a number of years since his father had told him of the eventuality that he now faced and had explained what needed to be done. Sesshomaru suspected that Inutaisho somehow knew that he would not live to see Inuyasha reach maturity and that is why he had prepared his elder son for the responsibility of explaining the rituals. It was at times like these that he cursed the drunk who forced them off the road and over that cliff…and then didn't even have the balls to stay and face his fate.

Inuyasha's resigned sigh made him look up before he could lose himself in the anger that thought fanned into existence. "All right," the younger man growled. "I'll tell you what I can remember; but don't think it's 'cause you got all mad and shit, 'cause it's not." Sess just raised his eyebrow and waited for Yash to continue. "Damn it, Sess, I could have really hurt her this morning and never known it until it was too late to stop it, and that," his voice was small and trembling, "that scares me – more than anything in my life ever has."

And so, ignoring the shocked look on his brother's face, Inuyasha began his tale; telling the older demon all he could remember. From the dinner their friends had made for them to Kagome falling asleep on his shoulder while they watched that screwy anime. He told about the half mocking argument they had regarding where he would sleep and how he had finally given in and crashed on her couch. Then he spoke of Kagome's nightmare and how it had awakened him and brought him to her side in an attempt to comfort her – and how she had needed him to stay by her as she slept. Oh, he had tried to get up and go back to the couch, but every time he moved, her hold on him tightened and she would whisper "Please don't leave me", and he didn't have it in him to leave her that way. Finally, Yash told him about waking up with her in his arms and the argument they had after he snapped out of whatever trance he had been in. He didn't mention holding her while she cried, that was one thing Sess _didn't_ need to know.

Through it all, Sesshomaru sat and merely listened. He allowed Inuyasha to speak without interruption and he filed all of his questions away until his brother was finished. Inuyasha was well aware of this and he was grateful, because once he started, he wasn't sure that he would be able to finish if he were interrupted; it was embarrassing enough as it was. The only time Sess looked as if he might say something was when Inuyasha spoke of the way he finally regained his control.

"You know the rest," Inuyasha finished. "I came home and told you guys what happened. Now, are you going to tell me what the fuck is happening to me?"

Sesshomaru's gaze shifted briefly to the clock on the wall over his brother's shoulder. It was getting to be late in the morning and he still hadn't told Inuyasha that he needed him in the office. Sighing, he looked at the man across from him and braced himself for the screaming to come. "I will tell you what our father told me at your age – but unfortunately, I cannot do that at this moment." He stopped and waited for the predicted reaction. He wasn't disappointed.

"What the fuck! You put me through all of that and then say 'Not right now'! God damn you, Sesshomaru, do you enjoy making my life hell or is this just a special occasion?!" Inuyasha had risen to his feet and was doing all that he could to keep from lunging at his brother over the table. Sesshomaru merely sat and regarded him as he had throughout most of their conversation; expressionlessly.

"Calm yourself, half breed. It is merely that the time grows late and the explanation I would give is rather lengthy and should not be rushed. I pledge you that I _will _explain, but it must wait until later. Do you understand?" Inuyasha nodded glumly, reluctantly accepting his brother's reasoning but making it painfully obvious that he wasn't happy about it.

"Fine, but you damn well better explain yourself tonight," Yash snarled.

"Have no fear, brother. I fully intend to." Sess regarded Inuyasha for a moment. "Have your woman watch Rin this evening. I would rather that she not hear any of this until she is older. Although," he paused thoughtfully, "perhaps I will be having this conversation with her sooner than I had anticipated."

When it didn't look like Sess was going to enlighten him, Inuyasha asked in exasperation, "Why?"

Sesshomaru's focus snapped back to his brother, "Why what?"

Growling in frustration, Yash asked, "Why would you need to have this talk with Rin? I mean she's human. What does she need to know about demon mating habits for? And why would you have to tell her sooner than you wanted to?"

Sesshomaru stared at his brother as though he had sprouted a second set of dog ears. "Are you truly so blind and self involved that you have not seen what is going on right in front of you?" Inuyasha just continued to stare at his blankly. "Idiot half breed," Sess muttered. "Have you not noticed that fox' attitude toward our little girl?"

At Yash's continued confusion, Sess threw his hands in the air and pushed away from the table, rising to leave the idiocy before it rubbed off on him. "Fool! Fool and blind! No wonder you cannot control your own instincts!" Sesshomaru turned on his heel and stormed out of the kitchen, never giving Inuyasha a chance to respond. "By the way," Sess' voice drifted down the stairs from where he was headed for his room to prepare for the day, "I need you at the office today. Some one hacked into the system and I need you to track it down and make sure they didn't get into anything sensitive…or leave us a nasty surprise." The click of the bedroom door signaled the end of their conversation.

Inuyasha just sat and stared at where his brother had been, mouth hanging open on the thwarted retort Sess had not given him time to utter, when his brother's last comment penetrated past his disgruntlement. _: Some one got into the system? Damn it, I hope this doesn't turn out like the last time. I really don't want to be there all night.: _

Inuyasha was White Dog Investment's techno wizard. There wasn't a program written that he couldn't hack and he hadn't yet come across a hacker that could break his security protocols. Well, with the exception of Hiten Chue, but he worked for the company now and was harmless. Between Hiten and Inuyasha, their system was harder to break into then anything even the government had.

With a resigned sigh, Inuyasha heaved himself out of his chair and headed for the upstairs bathroom, stopping by his room for a change of clothes on the way. Stepping into the bathroom, Yash was confronted with a plethora of femininity. Rin's make-up and hair accessories were spread across the countertop and her pantyhose hung from the shower curtain rod. Shaking his head, the demon cursed as he was almost tripped by the pair of lace panties that was balled up in the floor. "Richest man in the country and he can't buy a house with more than two bathrooms and _then _has the gall to take the master bedroom so that he doesn't have to share," Yash grumbled, pulling the hose from the rod and then sweeping all of the cosmetics into their waiting bag. "'Don't be a baby, Inuyasha' he says. 'How much of a mess can one human girl make?' he says. 'Be a man and stop whining, half breed. You insult our proud heritage.' Bastard. Too damn cheap to add on to my room and let me have my own bathroom."

Yash continued his grumbling until he stepped under the warm spray and allowed the water to relax and refresh him. He allowed his mind to drift as he reached for the shampoo and squeezed a generous dollop into his hand, wrinkling his nose at the fruity scent. _: Damn Rin and her stupid girlie smelling shit. Have to remember to buy my own stuff the next time I make it to the market.: _Filing the thought away in hopes that he'd remember it later, he turned his mind to the recent conversation with his brother. For some reason, he couldn't get the comment about the fights he used to have with Kouga and this morning's situation being connected out of his head.

Sure he knew a little bit about demon mating, they had all had some basic education about it in school. He knew that the males of the clans that took life mates would fight through Hell and beyond to ensure that their mate stayed safe. He also knew that the males scent marked their mates and that a few of them sometimes left a physical mark, like a scratch or a bite mark that scarred. Many of them had adopted the human's tradition of a ring or other piece of jewelry. Hell, he had fantasized about giving Kagome the rosary that he wore around his neck. His mother would have liked that, he was sure.

Realizing where his thoughts were going, he shook his head and rubbed his soap lathered washcloth over his chest and arms and tried to figure out how all of that related to his situation. _: I mean, it's not like I was trying to defend my claim to…her…Oh, shit! I …I was. Even back then, I had decided on Kagome. God, I **am** an idiot! But what made me lose it this morning? : _He couldn't figure that one out, but he would sure as Hell get it out of Sesshomaru tonight. He had a nasty feeling that his brother knew exactly what was going on and that the bastard was enjoying watching him squirm.

Finished with his shower, Inuyasha turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing the towel that he had set on the counter and drying himself. After dressing, he stood in front of the mirror and just looked at himself. "Well, Dog Boy," he said with a sigh, "let's just hope that you didn't screw up so badly that you can't fix it." With a last shake of his head, he made his way back downstairs and waited for his brother, and they headed for the office together.

* * *

The forest was quiet and the black clad hunter looked warily around her, on the lookout for any sign of her prey. She had been lead a merry chase and was more than ready to bring her elusive quarry to ground. So far though, the woman wasn't having any luck locating the demon she stalked. _: Kirara's gotten craftier. : _she thought, crouching down and examining the trail she had been following for the past few hours. _: The trail ends here. Would she take to the air or try to walk back in her own tracks again? That only worked once and she knows that I wouldn't forget that trick so easily. : _Shaking her head at the memory, the hunter bent once again to examine the trail before her. Finding that the tracks were only deep enough to have been walked in once, she drew her conclusion._ : The air then; concentrate, Sango and find her aura. : _Closing her eyes, Sango extended her senses and 'felt' for her feline companion turned training prey. 

The young woman was refining her skills as a demon slayer and her fire cat companion, Kirara, was a very willing and competent assistant. They were known to go out on these training runs on a fairly regular basis. It was what made them the best team in their village and her father's pride. The small village, located just outside of the city, produced the best trained and most competent slayers in the country, and that was due in no small part to the training that Sango's father provided. He was the best in the village, and his daughter would settle for nothing less than attaining the same level; hence, the training sessions.

She was always accompanied by her cat-like companion, but sometimes they were joined by other slayers or even demons who wished to improve their own fighting skills, although these were usually attached to some sort of law enforcement unit or other. On rare occasions, the pair was joined by Miroku, and, even rarer still, Inuyasha. If she was lucky enough to get both involved, she was sure to be out for days. The last time the four had gotten together, she'd even managed to get Kagome to go out with them and that hunt had lasted for almost a week. Who knew that the shrine girl and the half demon would make such a formidable team?

Centering herself, Sango sought out her dearest companion and, upon locating her, frowned. _: Behind me? How did she get behind me? Surely I would have sensed her passing me; or seen her at the very least. Sure there's a lot of undergrowth, but these woods aren't **that **dense. : _Indeed, she had chosen this stretch of forest for that very reason. The trees were well spaced, guaranteeing that anything large trying to hide would not have much cover unless they traveled low to the ground and then they would have made a lot of noise. _: Unless she shrank to her smaller form. Crafty, Kirara, very crafty, but you're not going to get away. : _

Movement from the corner of her eye caught the hunter's attention and she turned her head in time to see the tip of a black banded, cream colored tail disappear into the foliage of a nearby tree. Sango allowed a slight smirk to cross her face as she marked the fire cat's progress through the canopy, following the slight swaying of the branches as Kirara's weight shifted across them. It didn't take long for the hunter to realize that her prey was headed to one of the few clearings in this part of the forest. Speeding up, Sango made her stealthy way in front of the cat, intent on cutting her off and finishing this hunt.

Stepping out into the clearing, Sango was stopped by a sickle shaped weapon as it flew through the air at her. Grabbing her weapon off of her back and using the giant bone boomerang as a shield, Sango was able to deflect the blow and step back under the cover of the trees. Leaning against one of them and using it to shield her from view, she peered cautiously out and tried to locate her attacker. There, standing in the middle of the meadow, was a young boy of about seventeen with short dark hair and a smattering of freckles across his nose, clad in the same skin-tight black body suit as the hunter. He held in his hand the deadly chained sickle that had recently flown at the young woman.

_: So, Kirara brought reinforcements, did she? Well, this just makes things more interesting. I wonder, though. Is it just Kohaku or did she bring in some of the other slayers? : _Samgo scanned the trees behind her brother, searching for any sign that there was more than just him. Movement from behind him proved to be the fire cat in her smaller form; a form that changed with a roar and a blast of flames to a horse-sized, saber-fanged cream colored cat with two tails. Kirara stood next to Kohaku and the two waited patiently for Sango to make the next move.

Sango quietly made her way around the clearing to take a position behind the pair, all the while scanning for any others that might have come with Kohaku. Finding none but the two before her, the hunter began her plan of attack. _: First to take out Kirara. It'll be too hard to get him if he uses her for aerial attacks. : _With that thought in mind, Sango reached down to a special sheath attached to her hip. It contained smaller versions of the giant weapon she wore strapped to her back. These, however, were made of foam rubber and held a paint cartridge.

Once again checking her enemies' location, Sango was pleased to note that her brother was not sitting idle, but was searching the forest fringe for her. This had been one of the hardest lessons for Kohaku to learn, that the enemy does not sit in one place and wait for you to kill him. He had worn bruises for weeks; for when their father trained he made sure that you remembered what the killing blow would have done if this had been more than just practice. She allowed a hint of a smile to cross her features when she took in the sight of the katana strapped to his hip. _: Live steel. Well, this **is **going to be fun. : _

Climbing the tree next to her, Sango positioned herself for her throw. Kirara was sniffing the air, searching for her mistress' scent, but Sango been sure to choose a tree that was downwind and the cat was getting frustrated. The hunter steadied herself and waited for her target to come into range. One step, two, another…there! With a shout, Sango launched her weapon. She stayed still only long enough to be sure that it connected, then jumped out of the tree and landed in a crouch a few feet from her brother. A roar from behind her signaled her disabling hit to the fire cat and she spoke for the first time since encountering Kohaku, "Well brother, your partner is out of the picture. What are you going to do now?"

Her answer was given in the form of Kohaku's charge. Drawing her sword and using her boomerang as a shield, Sango met him head on. With a loud cry, Sango blocked the blow that Kohaku aimed at her neck and managed to push him a good few feet away from her. Recovering quickly, Kohaku charged her again. This time, however, he used his sickle's chain as a rope, swinging the weighted end over his head and casting it at his sister in an attempt to bind her blade and disarm her. Sango read his move for what it was and, instead of countering it, allowed the chain to wrap around her sword.

Sango grabbed the chain and pulled, dragging her opponent closer. Kohaku raised his weapon and brought it down in an overhand arc, aiming to disable and end the match. Sango wasn't having that and blocked him with her boomerang, pushing up and sending both weapons flying across the clearing.

Kohaku sprang back, putting distance between them, and drew his own blade. Sango took that moment to remove the chain and threw it at her brother, hoping to distract him. The ploy worked and she charged at him, slashing across his arm and drawing the first blood of the bout. Twisting her grip, she brought her blade back around for another hit, but was blocked by Kohaku's blade. Springing back apart, they circled each other, each searching for an opening. Kohaku saw his opening and charged again, only to be met by the hunter's blade. For several long minutes, the clearing rang with the sounds of steel striking steel. The siblings stopped, blades locked and bodies straining, each trying to overpower the other. In the end, Sango was able to gain just enough leverage to send Kohaku's sword flying and with a sweep of her leg she had him on his back and her blade at his throat.

"So, brother," she said, panting heavily and shaking with the strain of holding him down with one hand, "do you yield?" At the young man's nod, she moved off of him and extended her hand to help his up. "Alright, then. Let's gather the weapons and get that arm looked at." She grinned at him with admiration. "You're getting a lot better, Kohaku. It took a lot longer for me to disarm you this time."

Kohaku beamed at the compliment and headed over to pick up his sickle. "Well, Yoko's been helping me and Dad let me spar with him the other day."

After strapping her boomerang to her back, Sango reached out and ruffled his hair before dropping a companionable arm around his shoulders. "You keep this up and you'll be better than me before I know it. Then maybe Dad'll let us go out on jobs together." Kohaku didn't bother to hide the excitement he felt at that thought. He really admired his sister and his most cherished wish was to get to her level and join the ranks of the slayers in battle.

"So," he said as they made their way out of the clearing and back to the village, "are you staying for dinner or going back to the city?"

Sango paused a moment to let Kirara in her smaller form jump on her shoulder. Glancing down at her watch, she was surprised to see that so much of the day was gone. It was already late afternoon and she hadn't had any lunch. Her grumbling stomach decided her and she nodded. "Yeah, I think I have time," she told him teasingly. "But I can't stay too long. Miroku and I are going to visit Mushin tomorrow and we have to leave pretty early if we want to get there at a reasonable hour." Miroku's adoptive father lived in a nearby town, but it was still about a six hour drive. Mushin liked to see them for as long as possible, but since their schedules were so hectic, the two could only spend a day with him once a month.

"That's okay. You don't get to see Mushin that much and you can come out here anytime. I'm just glad you're staying for dinner," Kohaku answered. They continued on in companionable silence. It wasn't too long before they started to hear the sounds of clashing weapons and voices correcting form and technique. The village bustled with activity and Sango couldn't help but smile. This was a far cry from the downtrodden, depressed community it had been before her father took over as leader. He had done a lot to turn everything around and his hard work had really paid off. They had so many jobs now that they had to turn people away.

Sango looked up at the sound of her father's voice calling her name. With a smile she walked over to him. "Kagome called a little while ago," he said after embracing her in greeting. "She sounded a bit upset, but said that she could wait until you got back to talk to you."

"She must have gotten my e-mail," Sango replied with a wicked grin. She just shook her head when he father raised an eyebrow in question. "I'll call her later. I think I know what she wanted to yell at me about."

"Okay," their father said as she continued to chuckle. "Are you staying for dinner?" At her nod, he put an arm around both of his children and turned them toward their home. "Well, then, let's go see what your mother has prepared for us and you can tell us what you did that would make your best friend yell at you."

"It wasn't me, Dad," Sango said wickedly. "It was some of our other friends." She had both men laughing by the time they made it into the house and she just hoped that Kagome would have the same reaction when she talked to her later.

* * *

After watching Inuyasha make his way down the steps and start down the street, Kagome shut and locked the door before heading across the living room and starting up the stairs. Entering her room, she walked to her window and threw open the curtains, allowing the morning sun to brighten the interior. She turned to her desk, toeing on the C.P.U. and flipping on the monitor. She used the time it took for the machine to boot up to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything that she had to do today. _: Groceries, mail that package for Mama, make sure that Buyo's box is clean, and play with the kitten. Oh, and do the laundry. I'm running out of clothes to wear.:_

She went to her closet, glancing briefly at her reflection in the door mirror, to see what she had left to wear. It had been about a week and all of her favorite outfits were in need of cleaning. A beep from her computer to signal that she had mail caused her to pause in her search long enough to open the first message. Seeing that the attachment was a bit on the large side, she went back to her hunt to give it time to load. Finally deciding on a pair of jeans and a grey sweatshirt, she turned to lay them out on her bed so that they were ready when she finished her shower. As she turned to close the closet door, she realized that the attachment in her mail box was open. Standing next to the mirror, she paused as something caught her eye. Moving so that she had a better view, she drew in a sharp breath and exclaimed, "Inuyasha, you jerk! How could you?!"

* * *

A/N: Well that's it for now. Next chapter we find out why she's pissed at Yash again (is this getting too repetitive? [yes, but it is necessary repetitiveness]) and the boys have their "talk". And just _what_ did Sango send to Kagome? Find out next time. I'll try not to take so long. 

Until we meet again,

Patch


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi. Besides, if I did own him, he would be my personal cabana boy on some remote beach in Hawaii and serve mixed drinks while wearing nothing but a thong and a smile.

I also do not own any other trademarked companies or characters that may be mentioned in this 'fic, so no suing, ya hear!

A/N: Um… yeah. Lame excuses offered to any who ask. On with the show.

All I Want for Christmas

Chapter 10

Kagome stood and stared in disbelief at the image before her. How could he do this to her?! How could he be so insensitive?! More importantly, how was she going to hide it?

"Damn it, Dog Boy," Kagome grumbled, reaching up and fingering the dark mark on the side of her neck. "I don't really mind the 'mosquito bite', but did you have to make it so dark? And why the Hell couldn't you _at least_ put it somewhere I could cover it up!" Glaring down at the clothes she had chosen to wear, the poor girl sighed in exasperation. "It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to actually _leave_ _the_ _house_ to run my errands," she griped as she picked up the sweatshirt and pants and made her way downstairs to the bathroom. "At least then I wouldn't have to worry about old grannies staring at the deviant little girl who had the gall to come out in public with the _world's biggest hickey on her neck! _I feel like I'm suddenly back in junior high for gods sakes!"

Slamming the bathroom door behind her, Kagome threw her clothes on the sink and turned to start the water for her bath before undressing and grabbing her sponge. Sitting down on the bath stool, scrubbing and fuming, she continued to grumble and curse her boyfriend for the moron that he was until she was clean and finally slid into her warm bath for a much needed soak. Allowing the combination of steamy water and faintly lavender scented air to relax her and melt her irritation away, she resolutely turned her mind from the demonic dimwit and to her wardrobe and what she could wear to hide the evidence of Inuyasha's affection.

_: Let's see,: _she thought, sinking up to her chin in the bath water, _: there's that sweater that Aunt Nazuna gave me for my birthday. :_ She shook her head, mentally discarding the item. _: No, I gave that to Rin last year 'cause it didn't fit anymore. What else, what else?: _Her brow scrunched in thought _: What about the one that Inu-: _then she scowled in irritation _: Nope. Not even. I'm not wearing anything he's given me right now – it would only encourage him if I see him later. Besides,: _she sighed _: ,the neckline's too low on that one. : _Getting out of the tub and drying herself, she continued to ponder her choices as she toweled her hair dry, until the perfect shirt flashed across her mind's eye.

"That turtleneck Aunt Mayu sent last Christmas! It's perfect!" With her dilemma resolved, Kagome made a more cheerful journey back to her room in search of her sweater. When a rummage through her closet proved fruitless, the young woman turned her attention to the pile of dirty laundry that littered her floor. And there, lo and behold, was the subject of her search, smushed against the wall with a pair of grass stained jeans and the shirt she spilled jelly on yesterday morning. _: Maybe it's not **too **dirty. When did I wear it last, anyway? :_

Picking it up, Kagome wrinkled her nose as the smell of cigarettes and sweat wafted up to her. _:Damn. This is the shirt I wore when we went to that club last week. Jeeze, Kagome, you **really** need to do your laundry.: _"Well," she said aloud with a resigned sigh, "I guess there's nothing for it but to wear what I got on and hope nobody notices."

Famous last words.

* * *

A handsome young man whistled a jaunty tune as he made his way down the busy street. The late morning breeze caressed his face and played gently with the small tail of black hair secured at the nape of his neck. With his girlfriend out on a training mission and his employer taking pity and giving him the day off, Miroku was finally able to shop for Sango's Christmas gift without worrying that she would suddenly appear and ruin his surprise.

It hadn't been difficult to find what he wanted, especially since Sango had pointed it out to him a couple of months ago – in a wistful, sledgehammer hinting 'if you were to ever need something like that, that's the one I would choose' kind of way; and Sango being the snoop that she was this time of year he needed a place to hide his gift, hence his journey to the Sunset shrine to ask Kagome to hold on to his purchase for him. It wouldn't do for his snooping girlfriend to find her surprise before the proper time.

Taking the shrine steps two at a time, Miroku made his way to the shrine family's front door. As he waited for Kagome to answer his knock, he slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and gripped the small box he had placed there as though to reassure himself that it had not been lost in the last ten minutes.

This was a big step he was taking, and he couldn't fight the slight nervousness he was feeling. Kagome and Sango had been friends for longer than he had known either of the girls, and Kagome's opinion meant a lot to him. This was almost as bad as the other talk he had had a few days ago…

He was jolted out of his thoughts when the door in front of him opened to reveal a nervous looking Kagome. Putting on his best smile, he greeted her, "Kagome! You look as radiant as always! How are you this fine morning?"

"F-fine," she replied, fidgeting nervously with her hair before asking suspiciously, "What are you doing here, Miroku? I thought you couldn't get any time off from work."

"Yes, well, Sano took pity on me and allowed me the next couple of days to myself, and I figured that since my Sango was on a training mission I would come and visit my other favorite beauty." He smiled guilelessly at her and prayed that he wasn't laying it on too thick. After all, it was a well known fact that Miroku only shamelessly flattered when he wanted something. This time was no exception. He just hoped that Kagome would hear him out and not just dismiss him.

"Cut the crap, Miroku," the young woman sighed. "What do you want this time?" Miroku sighed in relief at the resignation in her voice. Thank God Kagome was too kind hearted to turn anyone away without listening to them first. Well, almost anyone – as long as it wasn't Inuyasha, and then she just started yelling at him. Of course, that was usually after he put his foot in his mouth again and… Damn it, now he was rambling to himself. Miroku was so afraid that she wouldn't help that he couldn't even keep his mind on what he was doing.

"I said," Kagome's irritated voice brought him out of his inner rambling, "did you want to stand out here all day or come in. It isn't exactly warm out today, ya know."

"Huh? Oh, yes, yes of course. Wouldn't want to freeze out here," he replied absently while following the young woman into the house. After removing his coat and shoes, Miroku made his way into the living room and took a seat on the couch across from Kagome. He watched her for a moment in an attempt to gather his thoughts. Her fidgeting did not go unnoticed, but he figured he would ask about that after he had finished more pressing business.

"Well," Miroku said, clearing his throat, "I'm sure you're wondering why I came to visit this morning." At Kagome's nod, he continued, "I need your opinion on Sango's Christmas present." He grinned when he saw Kagome's face light up and reached into his pocket, pulling out the box.

"Miroku," she breathed, taking the box from his outstretched hand, "is this what I think it is?" She eyed the velvet box thoughtfully before turning eager, hopeful eyes to her friend.

"Open it and find out."

Miroku waited breathlessly as Kagome opened the box to reveal a marquee cut diamond solitaire on a platinum band. For a moment, he thought she wasn't going to say anything until – "Oh my God, Miroku," Kagome exclaimed with a squeal, "she is _so_ going to die when she sees this! When are you going to ask her? Have you talked to her parents yet? Oh, I'm so happy for you!" She bounced across the room and threw herself at Miroku, enveloping him in a tight embrace. "This is so exciting!"

"Do you really think she'll like it?" he asked, enthusiastically returning her hug and restraining the impulse to take advantage of the situation. Kagome wouldn't help him if he made her angry. Releasing her so that she could sit down next to him, Miroku asked her his favor, "Can you hide that for me until Christmas? I don't want her to find it before I can properly ask her to be my wife."

"Of course. No problem. I know how much of a snoop she can be this time of year," she answered, flipping her hair from her face where it had fallen as she hugged her friend. The motion brought Miroku's attention to the dark mark on the girl's neck and with a suggestive grin he asked, "Is there something you and Yash need to tell me, Kagome?"

Kagome's eyes widened in horror and she made a grab for her hair to pull it back over her shoulder and stuttered, "Wh-what-what are you talking about? There's nothing to tell, I swear!"

"Oh," he said archly, cocking his head and raising his brow. "And I suppose you got that bruise on your neck shaving?" Miroku couldn't contain his laughter at Kagome's stammered attempts to deny the obvious, but his amusement was cut short by a knock at the front door.

Kagome's look of relief as she hurried to answer it just made him chuckle harder. Miroku couldn't have been happier, though. In his opinion, those two had been trying to deny the inevitable for way too long. Everyone who knew them was positive that Kagome and Inuyasha belonged together. The only ones who hadn't seen it were the couple themselves.

Miroku was just getting his chuckles under control and thinking of all the fun he was going to have teasing the living Hell out of the two when Kagome returned with a plain manila envelope in her hand. She was flipping through the contents and the look on her face sobered him immediately. "Kagome?" he said in concern. "Are you okay? What is it?"

"I don't- I don't understand. Why would someone do this? He-he would never do these things." She continued to mutter to herself as she returned to her seat beside her friend. Kagome turned confused eyes toward Miroku and handed him the envelope, asking, "He would never do this to me, Miroku, I know it! What the Hell is going on?"

Miroku's eyes widened as he flipped through the pictures that had been sent and the thought that went through his mind was _: What the Hell, indeed? :_

* * *

Bright blue eyes watched as the figure of a man set an envelope down on a porch, knocked on the door, then turned and walked quickly away. He had been following this man for several days, the stranger with the blue eyes, and he knew this house, this shrine. They would not get away with hurting this family the way his had been hurt. He would see to that.

The blue-eyed stranger followed his target through town, observing his activities. He hid himself in an alleyway when the man he followed stopped at a coffee shop and hurried to catch up when his target continued on his way. Several minutes later saw the two in the forecourt of a large office building. The blue-eyed stranger didn't follow inside. His presence would be questioned and draw unwanted attention but he knew where they were and he knew who owned the building. Ironic that he would be helping his one time rival retain something he didn't even know was being taken. Ironic, too, that the one to do the taking was a trusted employee.

Now that he knew where his target would be for the rest of the day, there was no need to linger. He would return in a few hours and confront the man at his home. It was time to put an end to the bitch and her scheming, and the man he had been following was perfect for his plans. For now, though, he would return to his current lodging and wait. It would all end soon.

* * *

That evening after dinner found the Shiro brothers seated in worn comfortable chairs in Inuyasha's sanctuary, the renovated basement of their modest home. Shortly after Inuyasha had turned fifteen and it became apparent that he needed a place to escape to deal with the death of their parents and the added pressures of adolescent life, Sesshomaru, in a rare showing of brotherly compassion, had the basement converted into a refuge for the younger man. It was to this room that Inuyasha went when he wanted to be alone, and it was an unspoken rule in the house that he was not to be disturbed when he was down there.

Sesshomaru surveyed the room around him and couldn't help but notice how it was truly a reflection of his brother's personality. The walls were painted a bright daring red, an in-your-face color that sometimes hurt the senses but complimented the soft cream of the sofa that resided in the middle of the room along with the two chairs the brothers currently occupied and the golden oak of the desk against the wall that held Yash's computer equipment. The sound system and small television were held in a matching entertainment center across from the couch. Both desk and shelving unit had been lovingly restored by Yash's own hands after being rescued from the trash collector. They had been two of the few pieces of furniture that the half demon's mother had brought with her when she married their father; and after her death the young man couldn't bear to part with them, even though they had been scratched and in ill repair.

There were few other furnishings in the room with the exception of several bookcases that held various nick knacks and, surprisingly, books. Yes, like Inuyasha, this room held many surprises. At first glance, it was loud and glaring, but the longer you where in there and the closer you looked, the more you came to see the softer touches under the heavy hand. Hidden among the posters of cars and the sports awards were beautifully painted landscapes; among the cheap novels and comic books were texts of advanced computer programming and engineering; and given pride of place, together on their own shelf, was the sword given to the young man by their father and the rosary given to him by the young woman the brothers had come down here to discuss.

Sesshomaru sat and quietly regarded the young man seated across from him. Taking in the sullen expression and the drooping ears, the older demon was reminded of another time when Inuyasha had looked like this – seven years ago, just after Sess had been given the responsibility of taking care of his brother and Rin. The young half-demon had worn the same lost expression the day he moved into his brother's home.

Sesshomaru remembered feeling a little overwhelmed that day. Here he was, a successful, confirmed bachelor, out on his own with few responsibilities; and then suddenly he's given the responsibility of raising two children, one of which he had never even met before the day of the funeral. The fact that all of this was happening because their parents had died just made it all that much harder.

Sesshomaru hadn't lived with his father since he graduated from high school. His mother had been one of Tai's many flings in his search for a life mate, a fling that could very well have developed into something more permanent. Unfortunately, the demoness had been killed in an accident shortly after giving birth; and Tai had been left to raise his pup alone. He had managed fairly well with only the usual snags of parenthood and Sess had always been mature for his age. Perhaps it was for this reason that Tai didn't object when Sess decided to move out and start a life of his own at such a young age.

Sess remembered the day that Tai called to say that he had found her – the woman he intended to make his life mate – and how happy the thought had made the young demon. It bothered him that she was human, but she made his father happy and that was good enough. After all, it had been a long time since Sess' mother died and he figured it was about time the old man got over it.

When Inuyasha was born, he couldn't have been happier for them. After spending time with Izayoi and discovering for himself what a compassionate and caring person she was, Sesshomaru started to think that maybe humans weren't all bad. She treated him like her own child, always asking how he was doing and when he planned to settle down and start his own family, a situation that never ceased to amuse him. She made his father happy and gave him another son to dote on and shower with attention, but it didn't change Sess' life that much. Sure, he visited and sent cards and gifts at appropriate times; but, all things considered, they were a family and Sess was just an afterthought, held aloof by his lifestyle and need for personal space.

It didn't really bother him to be thought of that way. After all, he had chosen this life and he had no regrets. It wasn't until his father died and he was to be sole guardian of his younger sibling that he realized just how bad a choice that had been. He was confronted with a sullen fourteen year old half-demon that he really knew little about. The two had never had the chance to become close and Sesshomaru realized that he was the reason why. The first year or so had been rough on all of them, but they had gotten through it and become a family.

_: And now I must perform a father's duty and explain the facts of demon life to my brother. Damn you, Father, why did you not do this when he turned thirteen as you did for me? :_

Noting the fidgeting across from him, Sess suppressed an irritated sigh. There really was no other way to go about this than to start from the beginning and hope that the imbecile wouldn't interrupt too much. "It concerns me, Inuyasha," he smiled a little when his brother jumped. They hadn't spoken since coming down here and it seemed that Inuyasha was as eager for this discussion as he was. "It concerns me that you were not aware of your actions until after the Intent had been laid. It also concerns me that she has not Accepted your claim."

Inuyasha raised his confused gaze from his intense contemplation of the floor and looked at the older demon. "What are you talking about? What Intent – what claim? I don't know what you're yappin' about, but you had better get to the fuckin' point before I walk. I got better things to do tonight than listen to you spout nonsense!"

"Idiot pup," Sesshomaru snarled. "Are you truly so ignorant of our clan's rituals that you don't even know what the Intent claim is?"

Yash rolled his eyes and glared, "Well, duh! If I had any idea what was going on, do ya think we'd be havin' this conversation?"

Sesshomaru pressed a finger to the middle of his forehead, "Dear God, what do they teach pups these days?" Seeing Yash about to retort, he held up his hand. "It matters not. I see now that I will have to tell you more than I originally thought." Sighing deeply, he continued, "What you have done, in essence, is let the demon world know of your intention to court this woman. You have merely placed a light scent mark that will not fade with time – if she accepts you – until such time as you either complete the mating ritual or split."

"If she accepts me? Are you sayin' she might not?"

"I am saying that she does not know to as you have not informed her of what has occurred. Usually the two are done at the same time." Sess regarded his brother for a moment. "Now, I am sure that you are aware of the things I am about to tell you, but please try to be patient and hear me out." At Yash's nod, he continued, "The claim you have laid merely places your scent on her to a stronger degree than simply touching her would. It also puts hers on you, but that has already faded because you have been apart most of today and she has not Accepted you."

"So what happens when she does? Will the scent stay?" Inuyasha was desperately trying to not snap at his brother for dragging this out. That chair was going to need re-upholstering, but at least his claws weren't digging into his information source. "You said earlier that she could reject it if she wanted."

"She can, simply be not responding and then you would turn from her and never look to her in this way again," was the cool answer. "Should she Accept you, the scent mark would be a blending of you and her; but it would be just as faint as the mark she already bears. That, as you are aware, is not much stronger than she gets from spending time with you." Sess paused a moment. Inuyasha was _really_ not going to like this. "Unfortunately, Brother, you only have a limited amount of time to explain all of this and get her to finish what you started."

"How long do I have and what does she have to do?" Sess was a little surprised that Yash hadn't exploded at that, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"You have approximately 10 days from the time the claim was set. Which gives you until –."

Inuyasha interrupted, "Christmas Eve."

"Indeed."

"What does she have to do to Accept me?"

"She –." Sesshomaru was interrupted again. This time, though, it was from a commotion upstairs in the kitchen and the voice he heard was not one he was expecting for some time. Rin was supposed to be with Kagome and he had instructed her to stay the night. It was unlike Rin to disobey, but it seemed she had a good reason this time.

"Papa, Uncle Yash, are you down there?" The panic in her voice was strong enough for anyone to hear and that had the two demons out of their chairs and hurrying up the stairs. Clearing the last of the steps, Sess skidded to a halt in front of a distressed Rin and reached out to her, but it wasn't him she went to. Instead, she threw herself at Inuyasha and began to sob into his shirt. They could tell that she was trying to tell them something, but it was muffled in Yash's shirt.

Finally, Yash pulled back and forced Rin to look at him. "What's wrong, Rin? What's happened?"

"Oh, Uncle Yash, it's terrible," the girl sobbed. "You have to get to the hospital. Kagome's been attacked!"

* * *

A/N: By rabid transvestite monkeys, while wearing banana tanning oil. (Sorry, coudn't resist.)

Yeah, I think that's a good place to stop for now. I wonder if anyone's still reading this.

Until we meet again,

Patch


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi. Maybe someone will take pity on me and put him under the tree this year. I wonder what he would look like bound in tinsel and a big red bow.

I also do not own any other trademarked companies or characters that may be mentioned in this 'fic, so no suing, ya hear!

A/N: Hey, would ya look at that. It's an update!

On with the show!

_Previously_

_"Papa? Uncle Yash? Are you down there?" The panic in her voice was strong enough for anyone to hear and that had the two demons out of their chairs and hurrying up the stairs. Clearing the last of the steps, Sess skidded to a halt in front of a distressed Rin and reached out to her, but it wasn't him she went to. Instead, she threw herself at Inuyasha and began to sob into his shirt. They could tell that she was trying to tell them something, but it was muffled in Yash's chest. _

_Finally, Yash pulled back and forced Rin to look at him. "What's wrong, Rin? What's happened?"_

_"Oh, Uncle Yash, it's terrible," the girl sobbed. "You have to get to the hospital. Kagome's been attacked!"_

All I Want for Christmas

Chapter 11

Inuyasha sat in the uncomfortable vinyl chair that seemed to be a staple of hospital waiting rooms everywhere and stared blindly at the plastic potted plant that leaned dispiritedly against the beige colored wall. Had it been anyone else, they would have noticed that the walls were actually a rather cheery light yellow, that the plastic plant was really a living organism, and that the chair he sat in was not vinyl or altogether uncomfortable; but Inuyasha was not in the mood to notice these contradictions. He was too worried about his injured girlfriend to care what the waiting room looked like.

It had been almost 9:00 last night when Rin burst in and shared her terrible news. Now it was pushing 6:00 in the morning, and he had finally convinced Sesshomaru to take Rin home about an hour ago. Shippo had left around midnight -- his parents had a strict curfew for the young scamp, and he didn't want them to worry by staying out past it. There was still no word from the doctor and that wasn't helping Inuyasha's nerves any.

He hated hospitals. The smell of sickness and death that no disinfectant, no matter how strong, could remove was not one he ever wanted to be subjected to. The combined scent of blood and medication tended to drive his acute nose crazy, and the sterility of the place just made him plain uncomfortable. It didn't help matters that the reason for him being there was because someone he cared for was injured. Add to that the silence he was getting from the doctors about Kagome's condition, and he was one stressed puppy.  
They still didn't know what had happened. Rin had been nearly inconsolable in the car, and the most she could say was that Kagome had been fine when the girl called to say she would be late getting to the shrine. The movie Shippo had taken her to see had started later than they had originally thought and Rin didn't want to worry the young woman. Some time between that phone call and about two hours or so later when Rin and Shippo got there, Kagome was beaten and left unconscious on her living room floor.

Rin had stayed to try and revive her while Shippo ran to the phone and called an ambulance. When the medical team arrived, Shippo had volunteered to ride with their friend so that Rin could go home and tell Yash and Sess what had happened. When the trio arrived, Shippo had been unable to add more to the story and had taken over consoling Rin, much to Sesshomaru's obvious displeasure. It had been a waiting game ever since, except when Inuyasha had spoken to the police inspector that the hospital had called out.

It was standard practice on all assault or abuse cases, Yash knew, but he really could have done without all the hassle. Sesshomaru and Rin had departed a few minutes before; and he had been sitting there, staring unseeingly at that damn plant -- much like he was now -- when they interrupted his stupor.

"Mr. Shiro?" The soft male voice brought him back to reality with a harsh bump. Looking up in the direction of the voice, Inuyasha was greeted by the sympathetic green eyes of a redheaded young dog demon dressed in a scrubs shirt and faded jeans. The sympathy in those eyes grated on Inuyasha. He didn't want sympathy, damn it; he wanted answers.

"My name is Toru --"

"How is she? When are you people going to let me see her?" Inuyasha snarled, interrupting the young man's introduction. It was then that he noticed the older woman standing a few steps behind the redhead. She was short and squat, with iron grey hair that was twisted back into a severe, no-nonsense bun. Dressed casually in a blue business suit, she looked like the kind of grandma you used to frighten young kids into behaving. Inuyasha didn't like her on sight. "Who's the hag?"

Toru shifted uncomfortably. "This is Keade Misato. She is an inspector for the police department. We would like to ask you a few questions concerning Ms. Higurashi."  
"What kind of questions?" Inuyasha asked dispiritedly. He really didn't know a whole lot about what had happened. The sympathy and affected concern he was getting from the inspector and the demon he assumed to be with the hospital was starting to grate on his nerves. He wasn't sure he really wanted to do this right now and said as much to the inspector.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Shiro," Keade said gently, "but it is best to get these things out of the way when everything is still fresh. It eliminates the risk of mistakes later because some important fact has been forgotten." Inuyasha nodded numbly before the inspector continued. "Now, then. When was the last time you were with Ms. Higurashi?"

"This -- well, I guess it would be yesterday morning," Inuyasha responded dully. Had it really been just yesterday that he had woken up in her bed with her? It seemed like so much longer than that.

"And where did you go when you left her home?"

"I went home. I had been with Kagome all night; and I needed to change clothes, otherwise I probably wouldn't have left her." Inuyasha paused a moment. "Well, I wouldn't have left until my brother came and dragged me to work, anyway."

"So, you work with your brother?" Inuyasha nodded. "You were with him all day?" Again, he nodded. "Where were you this evening between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.?"

"Why do you want to know all of this?" Inuyasha asked defensively. In his worried, stressed out state, the first thing that came to mind was that the officer thought he had had something to do with Kagome's attack.

The other demon stepped forward and answered cautiously, "We just want to rule you out as a suspect, Mr. Shiro. We're not accusing you of anything, but we do need your help if we are to catch whoever did this."

Slightly mollified, Inuyasha ran a tired hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed right now. I mean, nobody knows what happened to her and the damn hospital won't tell me what's wrong with her. I'm just…just…"

Toru laid a sympathetic hand on the half demon's shoulder and exchanged an asking glance with the inspector. At her nod, he said, "There are some very suspicious marks on Ms. Higurashi. Unusual gouges and some bruising that don't go along the same flow as her other injuries."

"What?" Inuyasha turned confused, questioning eyes to Toru. The redheaded demon sighed and sat down while the younger man continued. "I don't understand. What gouges? What bruising? You people have refused to tell me a damn thing about my Intended. I know nothing about what the hell's going on." Inuyasha rose from his seat and began to pace the small area in front of the chairs like a caged beast. "Answer my damn question, kid. What the hell kind of bruising are you talking about?"

"Well," Toru began calmly, "as you know, Ms. Higurashi was beaten pretty severely, but most of the blows seemed to center around the stomach and lower back areas. She has an abrasion on her forehead, which we believe is the blow that rendered her unconscious. However, the injuries we have found to be inconsistent are a bruise on her neck that doesn't appear to be a blunt force injury and has the imprint of canine fangs in it, and a set of gashes that start on her right shoulder and continue down across her back to her waist that appear to be from claws or some other sharp object. They aren't deep enough to require stitches, barely; but they will be very painful for a while."

Inuyasha listened quietly throughout Toru's rundown of Kagome's injuries, his face growing paler with each one, until he finally fell back into his abandoned seat and lowered his head into his hands. He couldn't believe that someone would hurt his Kagome, and his anger at himself grew. He should have been there to protect her, not hiding in his room listening to his brother lecture him about mating customs!

"Mr. Shiro," Inuyasha jerked his head up at the sound of the woman's voice. He had almost forgotten that the inspector was even there. "What is your relationship with Ms. Higurashi?" Her tone was gentle, and she kept her expression carefully neutral.

"She is my Intended," he answered softly. "We've known each other for years."

"Has she Accepted you?" Toru cut in before Keade could ask another question.

"What?" The half demon and the inspector turned to stare at the other demon, one in growing embarrassment and the other in confusion.

"I said, 'Has she Accepted you?'" he repeated.

"What does that have to do with anything? What business is it of yours if she has or not?" Inuyasha growled defensively.

"Well, it's just that I'm a little confused. You call her like a potential mate, but the only scent of her on you is hours old and the one on her isn't strong enough for that level of commitment. I'm just trying to understand the situation, that's all."

With a heavy sigh and a bowed head, Inuyasha realized that he was going to have to tell them what had happened between him and his girlfriend that morning. He had hoped to keep his bumbling in the family, but it looked like he was going to have to embarrass himself. "She doesn't know that she needs to," was his barely audible reply.

Toru stared in scandalized shock and then hissed, "You would force --."

Inuyasha's blazing eyes and warning growl were answered with a reproachful look and a snort. "I would _never_ force Kagome to do _anything _she didn't want to do, so don't even try to make it sound like I would." He took a deep breath to try and calm the discomfort and confusion that had sprung up from having to discuss this with strangers. "It was an accident. I didn't even know that I had done it until I got home this -- well, I guess it would be yesterday now -- morning, and my brother asked me about it."

"How could you not know? Surely your father --"

"Look," Inuyasha cut the young man off again, "my father died in a car accident when I was pretty young, and Sesshomaru assumed that I had already been told all of this. In fact," he turned his gaze back to the inspector, who was looking at him thoughtfully, "that's where I was most of the evening -- getting a crash course in dog demon mating customs from my brother." He dropped his gaze to the floor and tried desperately to calm the rush of blood to his cheeks at having to make that admittance.

"And your brother can confirm this?" Keade asked in a businesslike tone, to which Inuyasha just nodded.

"Well." Toru regarded the half demon with a mocking smile. "That explains the bruise on her neck, at least. That's were you plan to mark her, is it?" At Inuyasha's confused look, the other demon just shook his head and chuckled wryly. "I see that you still have a lot to talk to your brother about, Pup. And if you're serious about this woman, you need to tell her about your claim. You severely limit her options if you don't and that's unfair to her."

Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest and stuck his nose in the air. "Yeah, well, I'm sure we would have gotten to that if my girlfriend hadn't been attacked for no reason." With a sad look and a dejected shake of his head, he muttered, "I'll tell her -- somehow." Then as an afterthought, he stabbed Toru with a narrow-eyed gaze and growled, "And don't fuckin' call me 'Pup'!"

"Yes, well," Keade regarded the half demon in front of her as though she were trying to remember something. What that might be, Inuyasha didn't know; and he wasn't real sure that he even cared. After a moment, the older woman nodded her head and asked, "Is there anyone you can think of who would want to hurt Ms. Higurashi, anyone at all?"

The first name that came to his mind was Kikyo, but he wasn't sure that he was ready to involve the police in what had so far only been a slight threat. They didn't know who had switched the notes on the flowers and, as far as Yash was concerned, that was just another minor thing. It wasn't worth mentioning and was probably just some kid's idea of a joke anyway, so he didn't really see that as something worth mentioning.

He shook his head at the inspector, "No, no one. Everybody loves Kagome. She doesn't have any enemies that I know of." A low growl rumbled in his throat as he muttered, "Besides, they wouldn't be around for long if I knew about them."

Toru chuckled at Keade's startled look. "Possessive much, Pup?" At the inspector's confused look, the demon hastened to explain. "It isn't unusual for a dog demon to become possessive of a potential mate, especially one that they have started the claiming ritual with. We are a possessive breed by nature. The higher regard we hold for you; the more concerned we are for your safety. With an Intent that hasn't been Accepted, I'm surprised the Pup hasn't started breaking down walls to get to the girl." Keade nodded as Toru turned back to Inuyasha. "You'll have to wait until the hospital staff clears her for visitors." He didn't see the puzzled look that crossed Inuyasha's face. "It's obvious that you and Ms. Higurashi are close. Is there anyone who would hurt her to get to you; anyone who might not approve of your relationship and try to drive her from you?"

"Well, her ex wasn't too keen on the idea of her seein' a demon, even half of one; but he's just a pathetic human. Besides, from what I know of the guy, he wouldn't hurt Kagome," was Inuyasha's hesitant answer. He didn't see Hojo as a threat. As far as Inuyasha was concerned, that pathetic excuse for a human had been scared off the afternoon before Kagome's party. They wouldn't be seeing him again.

"I think we'll check him out anyway, just to be safe," Toru replied.

"Well," Keade looked over the small notebook she had been writing in. "I can't think of anything else right now." Turning to the redheaded demon, she asked, "Was there anything else before we go back to the office?"

"Wait, you're not with the hospital?" Inuyasha turned confused eyes on the redhead.

"Well, no. What made you think --," Toru chuckled lightly. "Oh, that's right. You never did let me fully introduce myself." Sticking out his hand toward Inuyasha, he said with a grin, "Toru Asakawa, investigator extraordinaire and Inspector Keade's partner, at your service."

Inuyasha just stared at the outstretched hand for a moment before grunting and turning to regard the inspector. "Well, you could have said so sooner" he said, watching from the corner of his eye as the other demon's grin faded and he lowered his arm, "Are we done here?"

Shaking his head at Inuyasha's blatant rudeness, Toru replied, "I think we have enough for now. We'll be back to speak to Ms. Higurashi when she wakes up."

"Fine," Inuyasha said dismissively. The two left shortly after that with a promise to keep him informed.

That had been a couple of hours ago, and Inuyasha was about ready to go hunting the doctor when she stepped into the waiting room. Looking up, Inuyasha waited impatiently as the woman in the white lab coat studied something on a metal clipboard before snapping it shut and glancing around the empty waiting room.

"Are you here for Ms. Higuarshi?" she asked the impatient dog demon in a low, soothing tone.

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered. "How is she? When can I see her?"

"Are you family?" the doctor asked skeptically, taking in the fuzzy ears, claws, and fangs.

"She's my Int--." He stopped. He really wasn't in the mood to explain that again. "My girlfriend," he continued, running his hand through his hair. "Her family isn't in town. They don't know she's here."

In all the stress and worry, he hadn't thought to call and let them know what had happened. He had been too busy answering questions and cursing the hospital staff to think that they might need to be told. That was the first thing he would do just as soon as he knew Kagome was going to be okay.

"Well, we don't usually talk to anyone who isn't family," the doctor began. A low growl from the half demon in front of her had her hastening to add nervously, "But I would consider you close enough and in light of the fact that her family isn't available, how about I just tell you?"

"Please." Inuyasha tried hard to keep the impatience and worry out of his voice, but some of it must have leaked out. The doctor flinched a little before finally telling him what he had waited all night to hear.

"Well, her wounds have been treated and she's stable, but I would caution you to not let her do a whole lot in the next few days. Those gashes across her back are going to need time, and she'll probably need some help keeping them clean and dressed properly." At Inuyasha's accepting nod, she continued, "We should be able to release her as soon as she wakes up."

"That's the worst of them, right? The gashes on her back?" Inuyasha was relieved to hear that it wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought. Now he just needed the doctor's reassurance.

"Oh, yes. Those are definitely the worst of her injuries." The doctor looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, whoever did this had to have had a real knowledge of unusual weapons."

"Why do you say that?" Inuyasha wanted to know. "The inspectors seemed to think they were made by claws."

"Well, I suppose at first glance they would appear to be rather deep scratches," the doctor answered. "But we got a pretty good look at them when we were treating Ms. Higurashi. They're too thin to be from a demon and too wide to be from an animal. It's really made all of us curious as to what might have made those marks." Shaking her head, the doctor sighed. "At any rate, she should be just fine in about a week or two." She turned and started out of the waiting room. "If you would like to follow me, I'll show you where her room is, and I can take you to the phones if you want to call her family."

Standing to follow, Inuyasha allowed a small smile to grace his features. "That would be great. Thank you."

Little did Inuyasha know that, even as things seemed to be looking up, there were some who hid in the shadows and plotted his downfall; and others who looked to prevent it.

* * *

Things were not going well. The man he had been following, the man whom he planned to turn to his aid by any means necessary, was late; and the blue-eyed demon was becoming impatient. Just an hour ago he had watched as the charge of the oldest dog had run into the house in tears, only to come out minutes later with both dogs at her heels. He had overheard something about the halfling's Intended being injured, but he had not followed them to the hospital. Instead, he had come here, to the door of one whom he thought would have answers -- and now he waited.

The ding of the elevator caught his attention, and he turned in time to catch sight of Hiten Chue, the very man he waited for, as he made his way down the hall. Ducking around a corner, the stranger waited for Hiten to put his key in the lock before he pulled a dagger from a hidden sheath and, coming up behind the other demon, put the weapon to his throat.

"Don't make any sudden moves, and don't even think about making a sound. Open the door and walk in. You and I need to have a little talk."

The stranger tightened his grip and made sure that Hiten knew he had claws when the demon in his grasp stiffened as though he were thinking about resisting. This meeting had been a long time in coming, and the wolf would be damned if he would be thwarted now.

* * *

The ringing phone woke Kagome from her fitful sleep. She had returned home after the hospital released her, much to Inuyasha's ire. He hadn't wanted her out of his sight and only after she promised that he could come over first thing in the morning had he allowed her to do so.

She had awakened at the hospital to find the half demon snoozing in the chair next to her bed. It hadn't taken more than a muffled moan on her part to wake him up, and, after he had assured himself that she really was okay, for him to begin an interrogation that had only ended when she claimed a headache that was not allowing her to think past the fact that she was one long ache. Inuyasha informing her that it was almost 6:00 in the afternoon the day _after_ Shippo and Rin were supposed to come see her hadn't helped much with that, either. However, the rather surprising news that the police had released her house came as the first pleasant shock she'd had in a few days.

It had taken another hour or so's worth of whining and a few well placed threats to get the overprotective dog demon to allow her to come home to her own house. She was positive that that promise was the only reason she was getting any peace right now. Well, that and the fact that Sesshomaru had threatened bodily harm if Inuyasha didn't allow Kagome to rest. As it was, Inuyasha didn't leave her until he had done a thorough check of the grounds, made sure that every window and door was properly secured, and made her promise on the Sacred Tree that she would call him if anyone suspicious so much as sneezed in the shrine's general direction.

It wasn't until after he had left and she had locked up behind him that she had come to realize the extent of her injuries. Climbing the stairs wasn't an option, she found out, as the pain in her back greatly restricted her movement. That was quickly taken care of, however, by swallowing a couple of the pain pills the doctor had prescribed and, silently thanking her mother for the pillow and blanket she found behind the couch, Kagome lay down to try and get some more rest.

She had just gotten comfortable on the couch and been right on the cusp of dozing off when the phone rang. Cursing and promising severe bodily injury to her boyfriend for not giving her even an hour to herself, she got up with a wince and made her painful way to the kitchen.

"Hello," she said irritatedly. "Really, Inuyasha, couldn't you give me --"

"Hello, Kagome," said a female voice, interrupting the young woman. It wasn't a voice Kagome recognized.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"Did you like the pictures I sent you? Don't we make a lovely couple?" the woman chuckled darkly. "How does it feel to be played for a fool?"

"Wha-- what are you talking about? What pict--." It took a moment for Kagome's drug and sleep fogged mind to realize what the woman was talking about. "Y-you sent those pictures?" Kagome gasped in disbelief when she was finally able to remember. "Who are you and what do you think you're doing with my boyfriend?"

A sinister laugh met her ears before the woman's hard voice answered, "That's where you're wrong, little girl. The question should be 'What are _you_ doing with _my_ man?' Don't you think?" Silence was her only answer as Kagome struggled to clear the anger and growing doubt from her mind. "Consider this a warning, Little Girl. Stay away from Inuyasha or you'll be spending more nights in the hospital ER."

Kagome was speechless and the next thing she heard was a _click_ and a dial tone. Reaching blindly for a chair, she sat down with a thump and fought her tears. Who was that woman and how could she say such things? It couldn't be true. Miroku had assured her that those pictures were fake. Besides, Inuyasha would never do something like this; it went against everything he built his life around.

The ringing of the telephone startled her and for a moment all she could do was stare at it in horror. What if it was that woman again? Kagome didn't think she could handle another call like that. :_Don't be an idiot! If it is her, just hang up. You don't have to listen to her lies._ : With a firm nod, she picked up the receiver.

"H-hello." Try as she might she couldn't hide the slight tremor in her voice.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" She could hear the concern in Inuyasha's voice and it was all she needed to lose her fight against her tears.

On the other end, Inuyasha listened as his girlfriend broke down in tears and tried to tell him about the mysterious phone call she had just gotten. Even with his hearing, he had a hard time and could only make out something about 'pictures', 'lies', and 'threatened to put me back in the hospital'. It was that last that made his decision for him. Promise or no promise, there was no way he was leaving Kagome alone tonight. Sesshomaru would understand. He would have to.

"Calm down, Kagome. I want you to stay right there and don't answer the phone again. I'll be right over." He hung up the phone, yelled his intentions to anyone in the house who might be listening, grabbed his keys, and went to comfort the only woman in his life that he couldn't stand to see cry.

* * *

A/N: I must be slipping. This one didn't end in a nasty cliffie and the next chapter is all laid out and should be up in less than -- oh, I don't know-- a month, maybe. School starts -- cripes, tomorrow! But hopefully it won't be so bad this semester. So, yeah.

Just wanted to thank you all for the kind words, especially **sutlesarcasm**. It made me feel like I'm actually going somewhere with this instead of just floundering in the stratosphere.

**Erinlin**, I don't remember saying that. Sango, yes; Kagome…well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? Let's just say that I'm not done with the whole dog demon clan mating thing yet. She still has to Accept him and it's not a given that she will…or that she'll live long enough for him to tell her. slaps paw over mouth and flattens whiskers I'm gonna shut up now. Oh, yeah, about the hickey. That's what you were supposed to think.

**Slywolf**! You're back! Where _have_ you been?

Oh, and **Artemismoon**? All I can say is 'meow'.

The last of the A/N that refused to end: Some of you may have noticed that earlier chapters have been updated. Everybody thank Niamh for her mad beta skillz. Without her, this story would still be floundering in mediocrity.

Okay. That's it. Laters.

Until we meet again,

Patch


End file.
